Merton Council is planning to cut essential services to disabled people and older people across the borough.

Care packages will be cut by 5% to 15%, the equivalent of a day a week of support, even though people's needs may not have changed or may actually have increased.

Assessments and Day Services will be reduced so it will take longer to get support and harder to find supportive services.

Councillors are being asked to make decisions with no proper information about the impact of these cuts.

There is a consultation going on until 2nd Feb 2015 which is difficult to access and there is no formal council process for taking on board what people have said in consultation. In its business plan, the Council says that they will be less able to support people, less able to manage safeguarding concerns, less able to monitor the quality of services and less able to meet their statutory duties.

These cuts are being rushed through without proper consideration or understanding of the impact.

Under these plans, disabled people and older people will face reduced independence, increased isolation and poorer wellbeing.

We the undersigned say:
STOP! Don't agree any further cuts to Adult Social Care

THINK! Assess what has been the impact of cuts that disabled people and older people have already had to deal with, including changes to the ILF

CONSULT! Give local people the opportunity to work with the Council to identify solutions