PRESS RELEASE

Major charities across Scotland including ENABLE Scotland and the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland will consult with MSP’s and senior figures on the draft UK manifesto of Campaign for a Fair Society on 7^th December 2011 at Holyrood.

They say that many of society’s disabled people are being forced to shoulder far more than their fair share of the Government’s austerity burden.

Now the charities, including Alzheimer’s Scotland and Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living, will give presentations on the impact that the UK austerity measures will have on their lives and the lives of those that they represent.

It is all part of their fast growing Campaign for a Fair Society first launched on 8^th February 2011 and which has now spread across Scotland and the UK.

Members of the campaign’s Scottish steering group said it was totally unfair and unacceptable that more than £7 billion of the Government’s £27 billion of cuts should fall on less than two per cent of society’s most vulnerable people.

John Dalrymple, of Neighbourhood Networks, said this is an excellent opportunity to inform MSP’s, senior figures across Scotland and the general public about the real impact of the UK Welfare Reform Bill.

“Disabled people in Scotland are set to lose £1billion in welfare support in the next five years as a result of this Bill. Many of them are already struggling on very low incomes. These are not the actions of a fair society.”

Jim Elder-Woodward, of Independent Living in Scotland added

"This millionaire UK government is making sure the rich and able within the City can carry on as if nothing has happened, whilst making damn sure the most poor and disabled outside, those who need the most support just to exist, are most affected in their efforts to deal with the mess originating from the rich and able of the City."

Norma Curran, of Values into Action Scotland, further added that there are better ways of distributing limited funding and that they are calling for a system of welfare reform which is fairer than the one currently proposed by the Coalition Government

“Through our UK manifesto and other means, Campaign members will be working together to propose a range of clear alternative policy solutions and will go on seeking support from the general public and political groups for real reform and fairness,” Norma said.

Now the Scottish steering committee is calling for people to join the Campaign by visiting their website www.campaignforafairsociety.org, lobbying local MPs and MSP’s, making donations and spreading the word via social media.

Ends

Notes

The Campaign for a Fair Society was born in London in 2010 but has now spread across England, Scotland and Wales. More than 70 UK charities, several influential individuals and approximately 1,500 members of the public have already signed up to it.

CfFS is not just another anti-cuts campaign, but it promotes positive principles for a fair welfare reform. It campaigns for:

• A commitment to human rights
• A commitment to make the right to support an objective right established in law
• A commitment to provide families and individuals with early support
• A commitment to put people back in control of their own lives
• A commitment to good housing
• A commitment to a guaranteed minimum income free from means-testing
• A commitment to end the current super-tax on older and disabled people levied through local authority charges

Timing of the event

This event falls on the Wednesday between International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3^rd December) and United Nations Human Rights Day (10^th December).

 Scottish Organisational members (56 + 1 observer)

Altrum; Alzheimer Scotland; Archibald Foundation; Ark Housing Association; Autism Rights Group; C-Change, CCPS – Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland; Choices Care; Cosgrove Care; Direct Inclusive Collaborative Enterprise (DICE) CIC; Diversity Matter; Down’s Syndrome Scotland; Edinburgh Development Group; Empower Quality Supports; ENABLE Scotland; Equal Futures
Ethnic Enable; FOCUS – The Richmond Fellowship Scotland; Give Me A Chance; Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living; Glasgow Disability Alliance; Greensyde Carers; Hayfield Support Service with Deaf People; Humanist Society Scotland; In Control Scotland; Inclusion Glasgow; Inclusion Scotland; Independent Living in Scotland; Inspiring Inclusion; Intowork; L’Arche Scotland; Lead Scotland; Learning Disability Alliance Scotland; Link Living; Local Area Coordinators Network Scotland; Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland (LTCAS); Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living; Margaret Blackwood Housing Association; Neighbourhood Networks; PAMIS; Partners for Inclusion; Partners in Advocacy; Pave Graphics
People First Scotland; Potential Living; Renfrewshire Access Panel
Roberts Care and Training; Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability; Scottish Human Rights Commission (observer); Scottish Union of Supported Employment; Sense Scotland; Support for Ordinary Living; The Dolphin Club; Thistle Foundation; UPDATE, Disability Information Scotland; Values Into Action Scotland; VAMW Care

Note

For more live comment from Scottish Campaign spokespersons or to arrange security passes for journalists who wish to attend on the day (1.15pm - 2.15pm on Wednesday 7th December) please call:

Norma Curran, Interim Chair, Scottish Campaign for a Fair Society, 07806 282993.

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