Speaking Up

Monday - Employment Rights Bill

The Employment Rights Bill is a wide ranging piece of legislation, and the Liberal Democrats welcome some of the measures in it, are cautious about others, but think that there are areas where it should go further. One such area is support for paid and unpaid carers. I intervened to ask Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister whether she agrees with Lib Dem policy to increase the minimum wage for carers by £2 an hour. You can read my question and her response here.

Later on in the debate I made a longer contribution on the need for unpaid carers who look after family or friends to have more support in being able to stay in the workforce. I talked about Amanda who used to live in Mid Sussex. Amada decided to retire from teaching early so that she would be able to look after her autistic and learning disabled son Archie once he finished school. Amanda now lives in Scotland, and earlier this year she wrote about her experiences as a carer.

There were reports over the weekend that the £151 earnings limit on claiming the Carer’s Allowance may be increased in Wednesday’s Budget to £181. We will need to see what the Chancellor announces, but raising the earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance would be a good step forward. I hope though the Government will go further and get rid of the earnings cliff edge altogether. As it stands if you earn £1 more than the £151 earnings limit, you lose all of the Carer’s Allowance, and have to payback any overpayments. We need a full review of the Carer’s Allowance, because we need to end this repayments scandal and give carers the proper support they deserve.

Wednesday - Infected Blood Compensation Scheme

In Parliament last week, the Government published draft regulations to manage the compensation scheme for those infected and affected by the infected blood scandal. I shared the story of Mid Sussex resident Graham who contracted Hepatitis C during surgery nearly forty years ago. In my speech I emphasised the need for urgency in making compensation claims as the only way to restore trust. I was told this week that in Ireland the compensation payments were made 25 years ago. The British State has to do better.

Thursday - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

The Liberal Democrats were granted an Urgent Question on Thursday following a National Audit Office report which concluded that current Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in the country is financially unsustainable. Schools Week summarised the report’s ‘Eight damning findings’.

This report will not come as news to parents who are spending years trying to get their child the support that they need. Neither will it surprise teachers or those who work in local authorities who try their best to meet soaring demand.

I think every single Member of Parliament is acutely aware of this crisis. Certainly I receive a steady stream of harrowing stories from families whose children are being failed, and it is clear from the questions MPs of all parties are raising, and the debates being tabled that the problem is national, not local.

Here in West Sussex though, less than 10% of Educational Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are being completed within the 20 week target. This leaves children struggling to cope in school, the schools unable to meet the child’s needs, and the County Council with spiralling demand, and overspent budgets. 

Within this ‘system’ we need to remember the children and their parents for whom the consequences are horrific. As I said on Thursday, in the past two weeks alone I have met two Mid Sussex families whose children have become suicidal because their educational needs have not been met. You can watch and listen to my question here. 

The Minister answering questions on Thursday clearly understands the scale of the problem, and knows that wholesale change is needed. However she kept asking for ‘patience’ whilst reforms are put in place. This is sadly realistic, but I don’t think parents should be asked to be ‘patient’ when their children may be acutely ill, missing out on their education and on a happy childhood.

Getting in touch

My parliamentary email address is: alison.bennett.mp@parliament.uk. If you need my help, please get in touch and I will do my best to help. I am so pleased that some of my team have now started working for me, but whilst we work through the queue of letters and emails I am sorry that response times are still not as quick as I want them to be. 

Best wishes,

Alison

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