23 September, 2020 Open access
23 September, 2020 Open access
Open statement asks government to withdraw sections of the Act that give powers to central and local government to reduce protection of rights to care, education and mental health support
More than 60 disability rights organisations have called on the government to restore protection of disabled people’s rights that have been eroded by the Coronavirus Act 2020.
In an open statement to the government, organisations including Disability Rights UK, Inclusion London, Liberty and Mind highlight concerns about provisions in the Act that give power to local authorities to reduce social care duties, weaken support and education for disabled children and young people, and remove basic legal safeguards that could severely impact the rights of people coming into contact with the mental health system.
NB - in relation to social care, the Act includes provisions, in sections 15 to 17 and schedule 12, that replace the duties on local authorities - in Part 1 of the Care Act 2014 in England and corresponding legislation in Wales and Scotland - to assess and meet needs for care and support, with a power to meet those needs in all cases except where not to do so would be a breach of an individual’s human rights.
Calling for the government to scrap these provisions, and restore full legal rights to disabled people, the statement concludes by saying that -
‘At a time when people need care, support, safeguards and education the most, the powers for central and local government to reduce their legal responsibilities to disabled people are wholly unacceptable.
Our lives must be valued equally. Removing our rights causes us disadvantage and discrimination, and puts our mental and physical health and our lives at risk.
As the Coronavirus Act approaches its six-month review, now is the time to recognise the devastating impact the exercise of these powers has had and to restore the legal rights of disabled people.’
Disability Rights UK Chief Executive Kamran Mallick said -
‘Almost two thirds of the deaths caused by coronavirus between March and July were those of disabled people. As we move into winter and an increase in the rate of infection, the government needs to do more to support and protect disabled people. Removing our rights is not an acceptable strategy. What is needed is a level of funding sufficient to see local authorities through this winter, which will maintain the full rights of disabled people to the provisions they are entitled to under the Care Act.’
For more information, see Scrap the Coronavirus Act provisions from disabilityrightsuk.org
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