The Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA) is a fund that covers the additional costs of attending university with a disability. It has enabled many thousands of students in the U.K to access higher education where this otherwise would not have been a possibility. A key part of the allowance goes to providing the assistance of support workers. Support workers see students regularly, depending on the student's needs, and are one of the most important aspects of support for students with disabilities at university. The government are proposing a cut to DSA that would remove the funding for a support worker (for full details of what aspects of DSA are being cut and which are remaining in place please see the link below(2)). According to a 2014 study by Randstad: “More than one in three students with a disability (34%) say they would definitely not have attended university without DSA support, while a further 36% are unsure if they would have originally attended. Less than one in three students with a disability (30%) would still definitely have decided to go to university without the support of the DSA.(1)” I am a support worker myself, and two of the students I support have said that they would not have made it through the first year of University without the support they received. I have seen first-hand what a difference the presence of support workers make to students’ experiences of university. It is in the Government’s interests, also, for the funding for support workers to be in place. In the long term, there is much more money to be saved by enabling a large proportion of people with disabilities to enter into work, and hence less reliant on the welfare system, by providing access to higher education. Disabled students who are granted DSA, assigning them support workers, are much more likely to complete their course and get a higher grade(1). The government are defending their decision to make cuts to DSA based on the fact that Higher Education Institutions would be obliged to fund support workers. Although, in theory, this is a legal requirement on the part of Higher Academic Institutions, this would create a market where admitting students with a disability would cost the university a great deal more than non-disabled students, and would result in some universities not providing the necessary quality or quantity of support. For more information on this issue please visit (1) http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2014/november/fight-dsa-cut and for the original statement from David Willetts see (2) https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/higher-education-student-support-changes-to-disabled-students-allowances-dsa. If you agree that a cut to DSA funding of support workers is unacceptable, please sign this petition. I will be writing to the three Brighton MPs for delivery on the 20th November, asking them to please vote against this decision, so the matter can come up for debate, and hope to have a wealth of signatures to back my request. Many Thanks, Priya.

Early detection could save hundreds of lives as there are only a few warning signs that the man may already have this disease. Women are given cervical and breast screening on a regular basis, why not do the blood test for men

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council is attempting to save money by drastically cutting the staffing levels of its library service to the point where we question whether it is in danger of breaching its obligations under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. It is proposing to reduce the opening hours of libraries at a time when it is also requiring Wirral residents to communicate with the authority digitally via the internet. Residents who cannot afford broadband must rely on computers in their local libraries. The people who are trained to help them are the very librarians whose jobs are under threat. These proposed cuts will disproportionally affect the poorer people of the borough and also young people who use libraries for research and as a safe,supportive and quiet place for completing.homework and projects. At a time when the NHS is flagging up that the underlying cause of many illnesses is isolation and loneliness, our Local Authority is planning to restrict access to a valuable service which provides community cohesion and support to thousands of the most vulnerable people in our borough.

The Prime Minister has pledged that everyone should be able to see a GP 8am-8pm seven days a week. Despite this, NHS England have decided that from next September, two GP practices in Tower Hamlets which currently open these hours, the Barkantine Practice and St Andrews Health Centre, will only open 8am-6.30pm Monday-Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturday. Similar cuts will affect hundreds of practices nationally. Along with 30-40% funding cuts, this means that these practices and others will struggle to stay open at all. Please do not allow these surgeries to close. Reverse the cuts and allow GP Surgeries to continue to provide the excellent services their patients benefit from.

Everyday people are looking for housing and need somewhere to live. In this day and age why is it acceptable to refuse housing to people in receipt of housing benefit who through no fault of their own are disabled and are good tenants with references. But do not qualify simply because they have no choice but to claim housing benefit due to being too disabled to work. It is time to end this injustice.

This effectively removes the main option for exercise in the local area for anyone without a considerable income (whom already have many private fitness options). There are no other alternatives in Saltash. It will add to the UK's obesity problem, effectively costing the council more in the long run. It's a terrible idea that isn't thought through at all, this ruthless cost cutting jeapordises the health of Saltash residents.

For 46 years Stonebridge playground has served the community. It has supported 3 generations of children and young people with special events, camping trips, and opportunities for fun and learning. It’s well-used and well loved. The playground has been crucial in the integration of many different ethnic and cultural groups including children with special needs. The playground has a lot of support not just from the community. Former Olympic gold medalist, Audley Harrison MBE, who attended when he was a boy, has championed our cause. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83x9Z61Edkk&feature=youtu.be And the local paper the Brent & Kilburn Times is behind the campaign: http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/environment/stonebridge_adventure_playground_campaigners_reach_their_1_000_signature_petition_target_1_3826047 But we are a small charity fighting a large organisation, Brent Council. They want more homes and more school places for children. We say what happens after school, at weekends and in school holidays? Not just for the children of one school, but for many in this area; when there is nothing for them, nowhere to meet their friends, We need to save this sanctuary in the midst of a concrete jungle for children and young people!

North Yorkshire County Council is trying AGAIN to close local Libraries, if communities don’t agree to raise funds and run them themselves on a voluntary basis. The Council are carrying out a “consultation” but the choices are a) you run your own library or b) your library will be closed down. This affects 20 rural libraries in North Yorkshire. In July 2014, Mr Justice Collins ruled in the High Court that the public consultation in Lincolnshire was flawed and had failed to deal with an alternative proposal. A similar flawed consultation has taken place in Leicestershire. Libraries are such an important hub of local rural communities. They are used by the young, the elderly, job seekers, people accessing the internet and others. I live in Bentham, a small market town in Craven. If our Library were to close down, I would need to travel to the nearest “core” Library in Skipton, a mere 27 miles away, at a cost of £10.10 by train. How would the young or the elderly get there? Bentham wouldn’t be the friendly town with a sense of community without the Library.

Many patients are very anxious about the future of their local hospital, particularly after various media disclosures, including the announcement that 1,000 beds in hospitals across the city (of Birmingham) are due to be axed! Our campaign group, Save Good Hope’s Local Services, brings together local people who use and care very much about our local hospital, Good Hope, in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. We are independent of any political party and are campaigning to stop the closure of key departments at our hospital. Closures of key departments at Good Hope Hospital could be the start of a slippery slope: in many areas of England, hospitals have already either been downgraded or even closed. One of our main aims, as stated in an earlier petition, has recently been successfully achieved. A public meeting to discuss the Trust’s proposals finally having being held in October, after much campaigning! And now we are calling for people across Birmingham to say NO to the closure of key departments at the hospital. These were revealed in the Trust's document (before the consultations had even finished!) as the following: 1. The transfer of Trauma FROM Good Hope to Heartlands Hospital; 2. The transfer of Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology and Colorectal Surgery FROM Good Hope to Heartlands and Solihull, both great distances to travel for many people and particularly difficult for carers and those they care for, the elderly, very young and disabled. In response to concern already expressed by many people at the ongoing consultations regarding transport, the Trust have suggested the equivalent of `taxi’ ambulances so to speak. But who would pay for this? Even if it was to be the Trust, how long would they actually pay before saying they had run out of funds? Would patients then be expected to pay, including those from other areas even further out, such as Tamworth & Lichfield? The Heart Of England Trust has been reported in the media as being the highest earning Trust IN THE COUNTRY from car parking charges, netting an annual profit of nearly £4million! At the public meeting, one of our campaigners asked the Trust why and if that money could be used to help keep our hospital services local? At present, it is obvious that this Trust STILL lacks openness, transparency and empathy with patients. They need to really start to `think like a patient’, because at the moment, they don’t.

so people can walk home safely and be seen

People in the affected areas are suffering from increased crime and fear of crime, such as damage to cars and property. Taxis, the fire brigade and police can't see house numbers in the dark, delaying responses, which could threaten people's safety - the police apparently oppose KCC's action. People are worried if they have to go out in the dark streets because they could trip on uneven pavements and tree roots. This affects many people who return from work late at night or have to leave very early to get to work. I live in Thanet, and there have been many complaints about KCC's policy of turning off lights on social media such as Streetlife, and this affects most people except those who live on main roads.

The proposed savings of £2.85 million from the Library Services in Barnet threatens the existence of one of the last remaining community amenities we have left. Three options have been put forward by the Council to make these savings; all three will see a reduction in the quality and quantity of service provision. Option one will see the size of library cut in all but four libraries. This idea fails to understand that libraries are used for their space as well as their books; less places for pupils and students to study and read results in a reduction of the quality of service. Option two will see the closure of Burnt Oak, Childs Hill, Mill Hill, East Finchley, Osidge and South Friern Libraries and a significant reduction of staffing levels at the remaining libraries. This option does not consider how the remaining libraries will cope with increased footfall owning to the closure of the other libraries, particularly around peak library times. Option three is a mix of the two, with some libraries being handed over to community groups and reduced staffing elsewhere. Libraries are the embodiment of social provision and community spirit. They are more than just books; they offer children's activities during term and holidays which are used by parents and nurseries. They offer access to the internet to those that don't have access. They provide space for people to read and study in peace that is not always possible in their homes. They are places to host community events, training and education. I use the library for my daughter; renting books but mainly for their toddler activities. My nursery also go there regularly. Please sign this petition if you believe in the universal provision of literature, education and community services in Barnet. Say no to the erosion of this great social asset.