While we appreciate these are unprecedented times, we are extremely concerned that the Coronavirus Bill strips away hard-won protections for disabled children, adults and their families for up to two years.
We want to know why there is the need for disabled and vulnerable people to be targeted in this way, when these are the people who are most at risk, and least able to cope, in this pandemic.
Instead of removing protections, even temporarily, the Government should be focusing on ensuring sufficient resources are put into place to protect this group of people.
We all understand that at a time like this, “service as usual” is going to be difficult. Everyone should be prepared to make allowances if an agreed service falls short.
But there is no need to make it even easier for LAs to abandon their duties (even more than they do in normal times). Maintaining the law as it stands underlines that LAs are still responsible for protecting the vulnerable.
Individual disabled people have different levels of need. It would be far better to agree, with individuals and their carers, a minimum service level for safety, than to remove rights across the board.
