Archive

With nearly 250 charity shops across the nation and new shops scheduled to open throughout the year, Scope's retail chain is thriving.

Sleepless nights.

They really take it out of you. But imagine if you were woken most nights because your child just can't sleep. It's a problem that many parents of disabled children talk to Scope about. Here, Helen from Peterborough describes her son's nocturnal adventures - and how our Sleep Solutions programme is putting an end to their sleepless nights.

My son is 10, almost 11, but he thinks he's about 35! 

When the draft Care and Support Bill was published last July, there was much to be pleased about. For example, for the first time social care law is modernised into one statute. Importantly, there is an overarching principle to promote ‘well-being’, rights of carers are strengthened and there are new duties on local authorities to provide information and advice.

We've teamed up with a number of benefits advisers from a local DIAL (Disability Information and Advice Line) to answer your questions about recent benefit questions:

What happens when your 64? - Linda

Hi Linda,

A few days ago I came across a quote from a young disabled woman that I simply couldn't believe." Emma, from Cambridge, said, "Not getting the support I need has meant my life is on hold. I have no routine, I feel socially isolated, lonely and of no value to society. I'm only 24; I feel 84."

Emma is talking about the effects a lack of proper social care support has on her life. The idea of someone so young feeling that she is of no value to society is a terrible state of affairs, but sadly, Emma is not alone.

Many of the Government's changes to welfare system start this month.

From the abolition of Disability Living Allowance and replacing it with the Personal Independence Payment , to the 'bedroom tax' to the closing of the Independent Living Fund it can be difficult to work out how they will impact on you.

We've teamed up with a number of benefits advisers from a local DIAL (Disability Information and Advice Line) to answer your questions.

From April disabled people - already struggling to make ends meet - will lose some £28 billion of financial support to help them with the extra costs of living in a world not designed for them.

This is on top of a squeeze in the support they receive from councils to do the basics such as getting up, getting dressed and getting washed.

Guest post from Claudia Wood, Deputy Director of Demos

It has become clear, since as early as 2010, that radical cuts to welfare spending would be the centre-piece of the Government's deficit reduction plan. The aim of reducing the benefits bill by £18 billion per year by 2014-15, was supplemented in 2012 by the announcement that a further £10 billion would be shaved off with a new round of reforms from 2017.

As we digested what it meant to be an 'aspiration nation', another Budget announcement flew under the radar. The Chancellor has revealed that the Government will be consulting on introducing a new tax relief for social investment.

This is good news for charities and the people they work to support. Especially as so many are finding it increasingly difficult to generate the same level of donations from traditional sources

Edward Timpson, the Children and Families Minister, has announced that he will strengthen the special educational needs (SEN) provisions in the Children and Families Bill by placing an additional duty on the new clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). This will force them to guarantee health care services agreed as part of the new Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC Plan).