Learning disability charity tells UN Special Rapporteur that “It Doesn’t Add Up” when it comes to social care funding
Hft, a national charity that supports adults with learning disabilities, has submitted evidence to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights warning that cuts to local authority budgets in England are having a negative impact on social care providers, and the support they are providing to vulnerable adults.
Professor Philip Alston, the UN Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, has called for information on the impact of austerity ahead of his visit to the United Kingdom in November.
Since February 2016, Hft has run the It Doesn’t Add Up campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the impact of increasing financial pressures on the learning disability sector. The charity has previously submitted evidence to a Call For Information from the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities regarding the provision of services for disabled people and, last year, two members of Hft’s speak out group, Voices to be Heard, gave evidence to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at a committee hearing in Geneva.
Billy Davis, Public Affairs and Policy Manager at Hft, commented: “Our latest research shows that the number of providers in the learning disability sector reporting that they are running at a deficit has more than trebled over the past year – increasing from 11% in 2016/17 to 34% in 2017/18.
“This can be seen as a direct impact of government austerity on reducing funding for local authorities. Not only does this undermine the financial viability of the sector, but ultimately it threatens the future support of some of the most vulnerable adults in society.
“With the Special Rapporteur’s visit due to coincide with the publication of the government’s long-awaited green paper on the future of adult social care funding, Hft felt it was more important than ever that the issues of social care funding be at the forefront of the Rapporteur’s mind. We look forward to his visit in November, and seeing his final report in due course.”
