APRIL 2018 SAW THE INTRODUCTION OF THE DISABILITY TAX FOR THOSE WHO OWNED THEIR OWN HOMES AND WHO ARE ON LOW INCOME BENEFITS. We require the government to reverse the immoral removal of the Mortgage Interest Relief Scheme (MIRS) for people with Disabilities, for whom the replacement has become a regressive tax (charging interest on interest) that could potentially lose them every penny that they have paid for their home. Further, institute a form of payments towards essential upkeep of owner occupied homes for those on low income benifits, providing parrity with private landlords of people in receipt of LAHA This is especially important given successive governments encouragement of home ownership. Changes in assistance with housing costs in 2018 have proportionatly adversly affected those with disabilities and thus immorally. In the 2017 general election Theresa May's "Dementia Tax" was severely critised and ultimately dropped. This proposal would have seen much of the persons home value used for care but would have left a substantial sum for them to use or leave in a will. Despite the public uproar at the Dementia Tax an effective wider affecting "Disability Tax" (which would have seen people who have become disabled and reliant on benefits, potentially loose every penny they have paid for their home as well as, possibly rightly, any increase in house value), has gone unchallenged and virtually unreported. Up until 2018 the system by which some help was given to people on low incomes (e.g. Employment Support Allowance or its equivalent in Universal Credit) was by payments towards their mortgage interest payments, Mortgage Interest Relief Scheme (MIRS), this did not pay for all of their mortgage payments nor, as in the governments reasons for its removal, make any assistance with the actual cost of the property. It merely just gave some money towards the mortgage interest rate. Unlike Local Area Housing Allowance (LAHA), which nominally pays the average cost of the full price of rent ( and thus the actual purchase price of a property, mortgage interest payments and upkeep of the property at a profit for somebody who isn't even living in the property, I.e. the landlord), MIRS was already a far cheaper scheme. As can already be seen that those in receipt of MIRS also received no help with most aspects of maintaining their home. The government decided that MIRS needed replacing as erroneously they stated that the welfare system should not be seen as assisting somebody to pay for their home whilst quite willfully not only buying a landlords property and upkeep but also providing them with a profit. In 2018 the new arrangements were introduced these provided a loan on some of the mortgage interest payments (a interest on interest loan scheme that would be considered unacceptable/imorral by the Financial Services Authority). These loans are to be repaid upon sale of the home or death. The only limit to the extent of the Loan repayable is the final sale price of the property. As such, the person could loose all the money they have paid into the property, a scheme worse than the proposed Dementia Tax but which has been allowed to be enacted. Worse is the fact that those who are more likely to be on benefits long term, and thus most affected by this regressive Tax are those with severe disabilities or long term sicknesses (and their families, who often act as cheap carers). This new Disability Tax means that rather than getting help with housing costs, they face additional charges, the mortgage its interest, and then the interest on the interest-in the loan provided by the government. As such under the new Disability Tax, not only does the disabled person probably loose every penny that they pay towards the purchase cost of their home, they effectively get no assistance in the long term with the cost of their home be that mortgage interest or upkeep, items that successive governments are happy to provide to landlords including effectively buying the property for them and providing a profit. Such a regressive and discriminatory reform of the benifits system in comparison to the treatment of those on LAHA and their landlords has to be seen as immoral and reprehensible. If The Dementia Tax was wrong then this Disability Tax is totally Immoral.

Disabled people lose these premiums up to a cost of £350 month.

For 20 years Ambis has worked at putting a plaster on gaping wounds with advocacy. Now we need to create solutions to the problems we witness on a daily bases. Our care system is about to hit a crises point. I Have worked in the care system since I was 15, in a field where a high percentage of its staff were born overseas, and who are now feeling that with effectively decreasing wages and increasing rents that they can no longer afford to stay here. We can help bridge the gap with long term carers and people who have been stuck in intergenerational poverty. Who want to work but cannot afford to do so. We can change that but only if we work together

I was made permanently disabled after a surgical mishap which has left me with severe chronic pain for the past 8 years. I have been struggling to lead a normal life since this happened to me and it has opened my eyes to the lives of disabled persons and the difficulties and struggles we encounter. I am unable to get around by public transportation most of the time due in part to my physical condition and also largely due to the lack of accessibility on the Tfl transportation network. I rely heavily on my disabled parking permits to enable me to park close enough to shops, hospitals and other services which I need to access within my community but am often unable to park in disabled bays due to them being occupied by people who either do not have a valid permit or are using somebody else’s permit, fraudulently for their own benefit - which is not only against the law (which is rarely enforced) but also prevents those with a genuine need from being able to park where they are entitled to do so. In eight years I have not been asked once to prove that my blue badge does indeed belong to me and it’s for this reason that people can, and are, getting away with it. Whilst I’m sure this problem exists across the UK; London has the highest population and lowest number of disabled parking spaces in comparison to most other cities in the country.

It will get more disabled people out to work and give them more independence.

My son, Rune, is a 19 year old disabled adult. He has recently moved into a supported living placement. It is named as a Supported living Placement but this is not the truth. It is a Care Home. The residents are NOT independent. They are not encouraged to do their own washing, cook their own meals or clean their own rooms. The staff do everything for them. However, in the guise of 'Supported living', this means the disabled adults have to hold a tenancy agreement and because of this arrangement, this allows the Government to take back an around figure of 40% of the income awarded to the disabled adult. For example. This includes, when all is told, their PIP, Universal Credit and LCWRA award. My son, after everything is taken from him and all his basic outgoings are considered, he will be left with £20 -30 p/w. This is unacceptable. Rune is doubly incontinent, he doesn't have any mates, he'll never experience the beauty of falling in love or being a part of a loving partnership. He can't see half the time because he can only wear his glasses in certain situations. He needs help showering to ensure his not missed any areas, ( can you imagine how personally degrading that is, at 19 years old, to need help from your mum to stand there and remind you to wash your freaking balls)? He cannot cross a road on his own, cook a meal of his own or be left on his own. Rune needs are acute and reminding of a thousand things a day in order to live any type of life remotely related to 'independence' is needed on a daily basis. Rune doesn't want a lot in life. He doesn't want the latest trainers and he isn't looking to go clubbing in Ibiza with his mates anytime soon. He simply likes to pop along to CEX, or Game to browse and to pick up a game or DVD occasionally, or to attend the cinema or bowling. Merlin passes to Chessington are a thing of the past. if Rune could work - he would! But he can't and, currently, he's not even on the level of being able to stack shelves in a supermarket. If he was a regular guy and going to work, he would be earning a lot more than what our Government is allowing him to live on per month right now. Apparently, this government do not deem some of the most vulnerable and needy members of our society, ie,disabled adults, and whom hold tennacy's in supported living placements, the right to be allowed to 'live a life' and 'access some activities and free spends' money. I currently refuse to apply for his LCWRA award on the grounds that it is a nonsensical waste of time to do so. Through my recent navigating through this process it has become apparent that to do so would be a pointless waste of time. With their right hand, this Government are handing Rune disability money through the channels of Universal Credit and disability premium and his PIP and with their left hand, and in the same week each month, they are taking 40% of all of that away through the channels of the social services. Rune is being left with £20 per week. for clothing, activities and leisure spends.

As a disabled resident I often walk my dog at Busby Glen. I use a mobility scooter so I’m unable to access the top part of the park as the only access is stairs. There is access if you are able to walk up the grass verges but on a mobility scooter, it’s impossible. I would like the council to address this issue.

Vulnerable people are being treated unfairly and DEMORALISED and discriminated against

My husband has a brain injury. He has changes to his whole life. It can make him moody , volatile , depressed even agressive. He also suffered badly from severe side effects from his epilepsy medication. This gave an incorrect assessment as when he came off it he improved. Not many people realize but once you have a brain injury you are classed under mental health. There is no access to regular mental health services as you are rejected because you have a brain injury so it's specialized. You can't go back to the Neuro services because you are no longer acute. There is a false idea that everyone will get compensation because it's usually been an accident. Not if it's been a bleed or a fall of nobodies fault. We have stroke services but not the services for brain injuries. My husband couldn't get a new report. He couldn't get an outpatient appointment with a Neuro psychologist or even a psychologist. He snapped . He ended up out of city a brain injury unit in a medium secure hospital as there where no beds. It hasnt helped ,it's been horrible and now He faces being placed in some kind of home. Of which there are few. Often brain injuries are placed with sever dementia patients even if their cognitive abilities are fairly good. It's a national disgrace. Until this happened he took part in regular community groups with support from a PA. Gained an NVQ. Now he faces being shut away he's not over 65. How many others are there?

We are living in the 21st Century. Against the backdrop of #MeToo, gender advancement and increased LGBT+ inclusion, disability rights continually are left behind as the poor relation of societal oppression when it is part of the same struggle for liberation. It is, for example, frustrating to see venues hold celebratory 'Pride' when a number of participants are excluded from taking part due to access issues. The request, therefore, that venues sign and state in respect of disabled access is an attempt to promote a dialogue that leads to change

People who are disabled are being pushed into hardship. Stopping benefits and carers. However if you are self harming ie drug taking they get every benefit going.

This is my dad the first photo was taken just before Christmas last year the other 3 are of my dad today we are in desperate need of help my dad and me have looked after each other for the last 14 years however 6 weeks ago my dad had a stroke its got so bad now i'm having to stay at home to look after him wipe his bum wash is face pull up his trousers etc etc all things that a few months ago my dad would have been able to do himself Now i am prepared to look after my dad but I need help but for some strange reason and the fact that we live in the countryside we are not even going to be assessed by Cornwall Social services for at least 6 to 8 weeks any package that will be put in place will take at least moths double figure to be implemented all my dad want is to stay at home for the last days of his life is this to much to ask apparently it is where is this country's social justice we have worked all our lives payed into the system and when we require the system to help us we are just left hanging because apparently theirs no emergency set up for when old people deteriorate rapidly because we have not asked for help in the last 14 years and sorted out problems ourselves we apparently don't exist please please contact your local MP and Get Social Justice for my Dad so that he can get the care he needs and stay at home for the remainder of his years and share this content far and wide our elderly should not be treated this way