Autism-in-Mind is proud to be part of the Act Now Campaign.
Formerly known as ACT NOW (Autism Campaigners Together), Act Now For Autism is a core group of people passionate about the future and well-being of children and adults with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder in the UK.
Act Now For Autism are campaigning against aspects of Welfare Reform, specifically face-to-face assessments and the Work Programme. We are ardently campaigning for advocacy to be offered to anyone who has to attend a benefit assessment.
What we are campaigning for:-
OUR CALL FOR TRAINED ADVOCATES:
We believe that being able to communicate effectively is a basic human right. We are therefore doubling our efforts to make sure that as many MPs and members of the House of Lords as is possible are aware of our campaign.
We are reiterating our call for every adult with autism to be offered, can access and is allowed to then use the services of an independent and suitably trained advocate when they find themselves having a benefit assessment/reassessment.
There are other issues that we firmly believe need to be raised and acted upon as a matter of urgency. There are many adults with autism who will NOT have reports from health professionals who are able to provide supportive evidence about their condition after their WCA/PIP assessment if they are asked to do so.
Many adults have seen no one since leaving Children's Services and in some areas they have no health services for adults to access unless they are at crisis point.
Who will support these adults if it becomes necessary for them to provide reports?
There is a dearth of specifically trained professionals who have the specialism required to understand autism and then write a comprehensive report about how autism impacts on the lives of the individual with the condition.
Act Now For Autism knows this is causing grave concern to many adults who are living alone, isolated and unsupported in our communities - they are telling us it is.
The well-being of these adults must not be overlooked. They have been neglected, ignored and ineligible for far too long already.
DISABILITY ELEMENT OF U/C:
Act Now For Autism is very concerned about the reduction in support for families living with autism and other disabilities when we change over to Universal Credit. This new system has the ability to severely impact on the income of families living with autism.
At the moment anyone who has a disabled child is entitled to the disability element of child tax credit. This support will change under Universal Credit and will be provided through a disability element as part of the benefit entitlement of a household.
Families with a child not getting high rate care component DLA will see the current rate of £54 per week drop to £27 per week, this adds up to £1400 per year but as the rate is paid per child a family with two or more disabled children will lose far greater amounts of financial support.
We are deeply concerned about the reduction of £27 per week for those whose children get middle or low rate care component of DLA because the vast majority of autistic children get those rates. A huge proportion of parent carers will face this cut whilst already struggling financially.
Families of autistic children often face far greater costs than many; paying for therapies and interventions that are not freely available to our children, buying special food because of sensory issues and restricted diets, special clothing due to sensory issues as well as damage often caused by their meltdowns. There are all reasons why this cut will have a negative impact, it's like we are being told our children aren't quite disabled enough. Autism for many is a hidden disability, especially children and many families are close to breaking point.
"Families living with autism are under so much stress given the views held by many about autism and how it manifests. Most live with no support and are now living in real terror of how some aspects of Welfare Reform will affect them." Jon Cruddas MP (Act Now For Autism Patron)
THE CUTS:
We are know that LAs and PCTs are making cuts which are impacting on adults with autism and families living with autism. Families are being told that they will have to re-apply for Direct Payments and respite is being shaved and in some cases cut altogether. Provision to support families is also being removed.
We are concerned that these cuts will make it even harder for children and adults to access provision. We are concerned that even more adults will continue to fall through the cracks, especially those without a generic learning disability and that the postcode lottery that we currently have will continue to spread.
It is difficult to imagine that the Adult Autism Strategy Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives - Increasing Awareness and Understanding of Autism (England) and The Autism Strategy (Scotland) will be able to deliver what had been hoped by the autism community. It is difficult to imagine that new services for both children and adults will be commissioned while LAs and PCTs struggle to maintain the services that they are already delivering.
The wider implications of the cuts that the voluntary sector will experience will result in a higher volumes of families and adults contacting them for support and information. This will place a considerable burden on the voluntary sector who are already struggles in the face of cuts to their budgets from statutory bodies.
Charity used to be the icing on the cake - now charity IS the cake.
Formerly known as ACT NOW (Autism Campaigners Together), Act Now For Autism is a core group of people passionate about the future and well-being of children and adults with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder in the UK.
Act Now For Autism are campaigning against aspects of Welfare Reform, specifically face-to-face assessments and the Work Programme. We are ardently campaigning for advocacy to be offered to anyone who has to attend a benefit assessment.
What we are campaigning for:-
OUR CALL FOR TRAINED ADVOCATES:
We believe that being able to communicate effectively is a basic human right. We are therefore doubling our efforts to make sure that as many MPs and members of the House of Lords as is possible are aware of our campaign.
We are reiterating our call for every adult with autism to be offered, can access and is allowed to then use the services of an independent and suitably trained advocate when they find themselves having a benefit assessment/reassessment.
There are other issues that we firmly believe need to be raised and acted upon as a matter of urgency. There are many adults with autism who will NOT have reports from health professionals who are able to provide supportive evidence about their condition after their WCA/PIP assessment if they are asked to do so.
Many adults have seen no one since leaving Children's Services and in some areas they have no health services for adults to access unless they are at crisis point.
Who will support these adults if it becomes necessary for them to provide reports?
There is a dearth of specifically trained professionals who have the specialism required to understand autism and then write a comprehensive report about how autism impacts on the lives of the individual with the condition.
Act Now For Autism knows this is causing grave concern to many adults who are living alone, isolated and unsupported in our communities - they are telling us it is.
The well-being of these adults must not be overlooked. They have been neglected, ignored and ineligible for far too long already.
DISABILITY ELEMENT OF U/C:
Act Now For Autism is very concerned about the reduction in support for families living with autism and other disabilities when we change over to Universal Credit. This new system has the ability to severely impact on the income of families living with autism.
At the moment anyone who has a disabled child is entitled to the disability element of child tax credit. This support will change under Universal Credit and will be provided through a disability element as part of the benefit entitlement of a household.
Families with a child not getting high rate care component DLA will see the current rate of £54 per week drop to £27 per week, this adds up to £1400 per year but as the rate is paid per child a family with two or more disabled children will lose far greater amounts of financial support.
We are deeply concerned about the reduction of £27 per week for those whose children get middle or low rate care component of DLA because the vast majority of autistic children get those rates. A huge proportion of parent carers will face this cut whilst already struggling financially.
Families of autistic children often face far greater costs than many; paying for therapies and interventions that are not freely available to our children, buying special food because of sensory issues and restricted diets, special clothing due to sensory issues as well as damage often caused by their meltdowns. There are all reasons why this cut will have a negative impact, it's like we are being told our children aren't quite disabled enough. Autism for many is a hidden disability, especially children and many families are close to breaking point.
"Families living with autism are under so much stress given the views held by many about autism and how it manifests. Most live with no support and are now living in real terror of how some aspects of Welfare Reform will affect them." Jon Cruddas MP (Act Now For Autism Patron)
THE CUTS:
We are know that LAs and PCTs are making cuts which are impacting on adults with autism and families living with autism. Families are being told that they will have to re-apply for Direct Payments and respite is being shaved and in some cases cut altogether. Provision to support families is also being removed.
We are concerned that these cuts will make it even harder for children and adults to access provision. We are concerned that even more adults will continue to fall through the cracks, especially those without a generic learning disability and that the postcode lottery that we currently have will continue to spread.
It is difficult to imagine that the Adult Autism Strategy Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives - Increasing Awareness and Understanding of Autism (England) and The Autism Strategy (Scotland) will be able to deliver what had been hoped by the autism community. It is difficult to imagine that new services for both children and adults will be commissioned while LAs and PCTs struggle to maintain the services that they are already delivering.
The wider implications of the cuts that the voluntary sector will experience will result in a higher volumes of families and adults contacting them for support and information. This will place a considerable burden on the voluntary sector who are already struggles in the face of cuts to their budgets from statutory bodies.
Charity used to be the icing on the cake - now charity IS the cake.
If you would like to join the Act Now for Autism Campaign please contact mail@actnowforautism.co.uk
Click on the image to be taken to the Act Now For Autism Website
