After today\u2019s statement by the chancellor about taxes and spending, Georgina \u2013 who leads on research for Sense \u2013 breaks down what it might mean for you if you\u2019re disabled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re not immersed in the world of politics like I am, announcements like Jeremy Hunt\u2019s today can be a bit baffling. Here\u2019s a jargon-free explainer of what the Chancellor announced, what it might mean for you, and how we rate the action he\u2019s taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll cover off the four main areas affecting disabled people: social care, benefits, the cost of living and public services. Let\u2019s take them one by one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hunt announced \u00a31 billion more money for social care this year and \u00a31.7 billion next year in extra funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This matters because the extra cash will help improve and sustain social care now and in the future. Social care has lacked the funding it needs, and this starts to address the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it\u2019ll only work if we have a social care system that reflects and meets the needs of all disabled people . Right now, not enough disabled people get the care they need. Social care is seen as a support to the NHS rather than helping people live their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people don\u2019t realise that working age adults make up one third of the people in adult social care. And half of the money local authorities spend on adult social care goes towards supporting working age people. So it\u2019ll be important for any new money to reach those people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this is encouraging news \u2013 and it\u2019s good to see social care as a key priority by the chancellor \u2013 there\u2019s still a long way to go before the problem is fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government has committed to increasing benefits in line with the current rate of inflation. This means an increase of 10.1% in benefits from April 2023. We\u2019ve been calling this for months as part of our cost of living campaign \u2013 so if you\u2019re one of the thousands of people who have signed our petition: thank you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is important that benefits keep pace with inflation because people on the lowest incomes are the most impacted by inflation driving the rising cost of living. Yet we need more action to make sure we have a benefits system that works for disabled people \u2013 with benefits set at a rate that helps disabled people live more meaningful lives \u2013 particularly in the wake of the increased cost of living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government committed to continue to help households with high energy costs. But their plans have changed from what was previously announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The energy price guarantee \u2013 where the government subsidises energy to limit how much each unit of energy can cost you \u2013 will carry on, but it\u2019ll cost people more than before. Whereas previously, an average household would pay \u00a32,500 for energy each year, from April 2023, the average household will pay \u00a33,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government will give people on benefits who are of working age an extra \u00a3900 cost of living payment, and people on disability benefit will get an extra \u00a3150.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although it\u2019s good that that government will continue its support, we need a dedicated plan to support disabled households with rising energy costs long-term, which should include more targeted support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chancellor also announced that government spending will increase at a slower rate over the next 5 years and not keep pace with inflation (which means that in reality, there\u2019ll be no more money for government departments to spend). So though we don\u2019t have the details yet, we need to keep an eye out for spending cuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not all bad news, as there have been additional announcements of funding for education, the NHS, and as I mentioned earlier, social care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll be busy keeping an eye on how today\u2019s announcements work in reality. And right now, as I type, we\u2019re reading through all the small print to better understand the details of what Jeremy Hunt announced this morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once we\u2019re done, we\u2019ll be speaking up for people with complex disabilities in our chats with decision makers. And we\u2019ll be continuing to put pressure on the government to make sure they support disabled people during the cost of living crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n