Social care funding petition handed over to Downing Street

Today Bradford Council is expected to change the threshold for when vulnerable and elderly people get help in their own homes.

The Council’s executive is expected to restrict funding to people with a substantial or critical need only.

It means people with a moderate need, who until now have received funding, would no longer do so. If given the go-ahead, the changes could affect up to 2,000 people and would save £1.57 million a year for the Labour-run Council.

Representatives from the Bradford and District Disabled People’s Forum travelled to Westminster to hand over a petition addressed to David Cameron.

They also met with Norman Lamb MP (Lib Dem), the Care and Support Minister for the Department of Health, to discuss their concerns.

Joining them were Bradford East MP David Ward (Lib Dem) and Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Liberal Democrat group at Bradford Council, who have been running a campaign against the changes called Bradford Cares.

The group said the trip was designed to raise awareness of the Council’s proposals, which they called “disastrous and harmful”.

Mr Ward said members of the forum had shown “commitment and dedication” by travelling all the way to London to make their feelings known.

He said: “The Council’s proposals are dangerous and short-sighted, badly hurting some of the most vulnerable people in Bradford completely unnecessarily, as these cuts will actually cost the Council around £2.34m a year more in the future.”

Councillor Amir Hussain, executive member for adult services, said 83 per cent of councils had already changed their threshold. And he disputed that the Government was ploughing millions of pounds into social care.