Thank you for contacting me about the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on people with disabilities and for bringing Scope’s Disability Report to my attention.
It troubles me that so many people with disabilities feel forgotten during this crisis. As well as addressing this, we must ensure rights are not eroded and also look for opportunities to change things for the better for good.
Local authorities are providing support to those people on the National Shielding List in the form of essential grocery supplies and social contact. People who are shielding are also entitled to priority supermarket delivery slots and medicine delivery. The list is maintained by the National Shielding Service. If you are not on the list and think you should be, there are details on the gov.uk website advising you how to register (either online or by phone). You can also register via your local council website. This information is available on the gov.uk and NHS websites.
Regarding welfare, the Government acted quickly to suspend all face-to-face assessments for health and disability-related benefits while also extending award periods, giving people peace of mind that their benefit payments would continue. I am encouraged that Ministers are protecting the health of individuals claiming these benefits, many of whom are likely to be at greater risk of severe Coronavirus symptoms due to their pre-existing health conditions.
My view is that measures in the Coronavirus Act are temporary and proportionate to the threat we face. It is important to stress that they will only be used when strictly necessary and will only be in place for as long as required to respond to the public health emergency. Local authorities will still be expected to do as much as they can to comply with their duties to meet needs during this period, and the legislation does not remove the duty of care towards an individual's risk of serious neglect or harm. The legislation must not be used as cover for negating basic duties.
There are also opportunities for positive change. The way many of us work has, for example, changed. Normalising working from home and other adjustments is one way we can emerge from this into a world which better embraces people with disabilities.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Craig Whittaker MP
July 2020