We are calling on the Scottish Government to cancel all non-residential social care charges in Scotland from September 2023.   

The Scottish Government has promised to end Care Charges in Scotland by 2026  but we cannot wait any more.   Thousands of disabled people on Universal Credit have been having to pay up to £100 per week from their benefits for social care from local councils.   The cost of living crisis has taken a huge toll on disabled people with higher prices hitting us harder than most.  

Join us to hand in the petition at the protest against the delay on Wednesday September 6th, 2023  12 noon, The Scottish Parliament Edinburgh

People with support needs in Scotland pay £40 million every year as charges or a contribution towards the cost of this support.   The Scottish Government has promised to end all these charges within this term of the Scottish Parliament.  However no date for this has been put forward yet, meaning that it could be as late as April 2026.

Fuel Bills for disabled people with support needs have more than doubled.  Food prices for the most basic items are going up faster than others.   Despite these rises, the care charging system in Scotland says that disabled people should manage on just over half of what the UK government’s DWP says - £140 per week compared to £250 (for a single disabled person on UC and PIP).    Councils take an amount up to the value of the difference to cover the cost of care.  

Many disabled people have gone into debt to get through the winter.  A halt on care charges will help disabled people with support needs all over Scotland manage their lives much better until the cost of living crisis comes to an end and the Scottish Government is in a position to proceed with their long term plans.  

I am a disabled mother of two children.   I get support every week from a local organisation to help me manage.   This year all my bills have gone up, my electric has more than doubled and I am finding it very hard to manage.   I have been to food banks to help us get through the week.  I have to ration the heating we have in our house.    Yet every month I am asked to pay care charges to my local council.   I feel really bad. 

I work with a group called The Assembly, which brings together people with support needs from all over Scotland.  This is a widespread problem for many people.  We think that there are up to 1,000 people in each council area affected making about 30,000 people paying care charges throughout Scotland.   These charges will go up every year by the rate of inflation and more.  We need help now.