Sense
Sense is a national charity that supports and campaigns for disabled children and adults who have complex needs. We have been supporting disabled people to enjoy more independent lives, and play active roles in their communities, for the last 60 years.
Sense have released their key asks of the next Government ahead of the June 8 General Election:
- A sustainably funded social care system, that is properly integrated with the NHS
With recent calculations showing the social care sector needs at least an extra £1 billion per year up to 2020 just to keep afloat, we want to see a commitment for an open and transparent cross party review of the social care system, with the aim of agreeing how we fund care now and long into the future.
- A sustainable NHS which is fully integrated around the needs of the individual
This would ensure disabled people receive cohesive, meaningful and timely care.
- No further benefits reductions for disabled people over the course of the next parliament
With the recent reduction of around £30 a week for new recipients of the Employment Support Allowance Work Related Activity Group (ESA WRAG), and tightening of the Personal Independent Payment (PIP) criteria, we want the next Government to commit to protecting disabled people from further cuts to vital benefits that enable them to live full and independent lives.
- Equal access to quality childcare for children with special education needs
There is strong evidence that high quality early education has a positive effect on children’s development and outcomes. Government Ministers have already conceded that children with special education needs do not in many cases enjoy the same level of access to high quality, flexible early years provision as their peers.
- Deliver a national strategy to identify, measure and address loneliness
Research from Sense has shown that up to 50% of disabled people will be lonely on any given day and that having a disability is a significant risk factor for social isolation. We believe the next government must acknowledge that loneliness is a growing public health issue, which affects the well-being of individuals and communities and incurs significant costs to the state.
You can read more about Sense's policy approach to social care here
