New report finds up to 1.5 million disabled people could be missing out on social care support
A poll of 1,504 working-age disabled adults by Healthwatch* has found that 28% have never accessed social care despite potentially being eligible. They are calling for the government to implement a plan to reform social care and make it easier for people to access support.
Applying their findings at a national level, Healthwatch claims that up to 1.5 million working-age disabled people in England could need social care support but are not accessing it. This means they are likely to be missing out on help with daily activities such as washing, cleaning, socialising, and going to the shops.
Cath Stanley, Chief Executive of the Huntington’s Disease Association, said:
It’s essential that disabled people, including those living with Huntington’s, are aware of the social care support available to them. Local authorities also need to have the resources to provide this, ensuring nobody is denied the help they need. Healthwatch’s report highlights the need for the government to set-out a fully-funded long-term plan for social care, to help make this a reality’. We urge anyone who needs extra support to apply for a health and social care assessment from social services to find out what help they may be entitled to.
* Healthwatch is the independent consumer champion for both health and social care. Its role is to gather and champion the views of users of health and social care services, in order to identify improvements that can be made.