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Dear Mr Pakes,

Congratulations on your recent election. You now have the opportunity to make history. As one of your constituents, I need you to act.

For social care: it’s time for actions, not just words.

Without care, many of us can’t get up and out, work or volunteer, see the people we love, or be independent. But years of underfunding and broken promises has left social care in a shocking state, impacting every area in the country, including Peterborough.

In 2022/23 3,880 requests for support were made by disabled people and older people to Peterborough City Council but 44% of these requests were turned down, with these people either being offered no support or general advice and signposting.

There is a national workforce crisis in social care and it is no different in Peterborough. There was a shortage of 475 care workers across Peterborough in 2022/23.

This has left people without the care they need, or relying on friends and families to step in. 7,806 people in Peterborough provide over 20 hours of unpaid care and support for a loved one every week.

Here’s a chance to help donate towards the efforts to increase underpaid care workers for as little as £3 a month. Thank you https://buy.stripe.com/aEUbIXalAcS11c49AA

We need our new government and Parliament to commit to a plan of reform and the funding to make it happen, so people can get the support they need, when they need it, and can live dignified and fulfilling lives.

I agree with Leonard Cheshire and the members of the Care and Support Alliance (a coalition of over 60 charities and organisations), that to make social care work, in this term the Government needs to:

1) Tackle the shortfall in social care spending and put in place a long-term funding commitment to meet future demand. Piecemeal pots of funding will not deliver the change, services or stability the sector and care users need.

2) Address the core issues facing the workforce, including pay, conditions, career development and skills recognition, as part of a new social care workforce strategy.

3) Support local authorities with the funding needed to tackle long waits for assessments.

4) Develop a new National Carers Strategy that invests in carers’ breaks, introduces paid carer’s leave, and urgently reviews Carer’s Allowance and other social security benefits carers can claim.

5) Remove social care charging for working-aged disabled adults, so they don't have to part-fund their care from state benefits designed to pay for their daily living costs, like food and heating.

As an MP, what can you do?

1) Pledge to be a social care champion in this parliament and make sure this opportunity to act is not missed.

2) Write to the PM and ask for the Government to urgently publish a plan of action for social care.

You are in the privileged position of representing this constituency and, with others, you have the power to transform the lives of millions of older and disabled people and their carers for the better.

It’s time for actions, not words. Please show us you care: give social care the priority attention it needs in this Parliament.

Yours,

Ashley Cooper

10 Holland avenue

Walton, peterborough

Pe46ey

ashley.cooper1993@icloud.com