I’m calling for a change in the rules so that people with dementia are specifically eligible to apply for a Blue Badge, which means easier trips to the shop, the doctor’s or the hospital for dementia patients if they choose to apply. “I hope the Government will consider this change.” The final decision on who is eligible is up to local councils. But Government provides guidance can prove crucial in earmarking badges - and dementia is not on the list of criteria. Charities say some local authorities give blue badges to people with dementia while others enforce much tighter rules. Although the person with dementia may be able to walk the required distance that exempts them from being issued a Blue Badge the person has to be helped in and out of their vehicle, and guided, they can be unsteady on their feet and suffer dizziness/confusion as to where they are because of their dementia. This means that, e.g. they cannot be dropped off while a driver goes to park, because they are in danger from wandering off or walking into the road. Campaigners say the disease can be as mentally and often physically debilitating as other illnesses. The number of people with dementia is set to rise from 850,000 this year to over two million by 2051. Alzheimer’s Society national campaigns manager Sam Gould said: “Many people with dementia gradually lose their ability to walk and perform simple tasks as their condition progresses. “This means activities that many of us take for granted, like visiting the shops or attending GP appointments, can become physically challenging and make some journeys daunting. “We support the call for people with dementia to be able to access the Blue Badge scheme, as this could mean that more people with dementia are able to continue doing the things they enjoy and maintain their independence for longer.”

My simple request was that I would as a wheelchair user like the same opportunity as everyone else to buy a cheap 1st class ticket for a long journey. If you are not a wheelchair user you are perhaps not aware that the majority of Virgin East Coast rolling stock are ancient Diesels which do have one wheelchair space available which is not accessible by most wheelchairs nor do they have an accessible toilet their own words! Only the electric trains have an accessible toilet in First BUT when phoning or looking online there is no way to know which trains are suitable for me ie electric and in consequence I have missed the cheaper tickets, apparently and according to Virgin East Coast my fault for not booking sooner! Follow this link and see for yourself. https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/rail-travel/your-journey/assisted-travel/

The Potting Shed@Radstock is an important resource for local people who suffer with mental health and isolation issues. Closing the project will result in the loss of a valuable wellbeing project and a possible route into employment for people living in Radstock and the surrounding areas. Many people have benefited from the project. The community also benefits from the project. It makes no financial sense for the Trustees to charge the group rent and water charges to maintain the gardens voluntarily, as without the group they will need to pay a gardening contractor to do the same work. Without a Support Worker managing the project and encouraging people to attend the project is doomed to fail.

Having held a full car driving license since 1995 I feel very insulted and stupid that I can only ride a 50cc moped without L plates. I'm 6'2 a push bike can go faster than me on a 50cc just imagine how fast I can go with a pillion very dangerous. I've been disabled for the last 8 years and had my motability car taken away due to cutbacks. I cannot afford to buy a car let alone keep one on the road, the only way I can go anywhere is on a 50cc moped which is dangerously slow so I traded it in for a 125cc scooter now I have to find 100 every 2 years for a CBT and display L plates if I want to go anywhere with my wife she has to get the bus, I can't get the bus because I can't walk far enough to get to the bus stop.

I am a disabled UK tax payer that had nothing to do with the state of the UKs finances and myself and every over disabled person in the UK can't be punished anymore.

The bus shelters in Milton Keynes are vital for people who get the bus to work or school every day. They keep people dry and out of the wind and the rain. Without these shelters, infants, disabled people and the elderly will be forced to wait out in the cold. Th council talk about the regeneration of estates but they are planning to demolish these bus shelters. If Milton Keynes, with seven deprived estates, is going to demolish their bus shelters, this could happen in other areas where councils want to save money. The demolition may look minimal at first, but this is no small demolition.

Other counties such as Nottinghamshire, Devonshire, East Sussex do pay for companion bus passes for carers of disabled people. They get grants for the government to do it. It is a discretionary thing not a mandatory. However, Lack of the findings for other counties is jeopardising people's independence as it is unfair and immoral for carers to having to pay to go on a bus with a disabled person.

There is currently an estimated £6 billion deficit each year in providing the necessary funding - this means that over 100,000 families are facing financial ruin, adding to the acute misery of seeing their relatives slowly decline. This problem was recognised some 10 years ago, and the Dilnot Commission reported in 2011 with recommendations that were accepted by the Coalition Government in 2013. The Conservative Party, in their 2015 election manifesto, pledged to implement starting in 2016, only for the present Government to renege on its promise within 3 months of taking office. The key points in this commitment were: · A cap on the patient's financial liability for care costs set at £72,000 · The level of assets, below which patients are no longer liable to pay, raised from £23,250 to £118,000 · By 2024, up to 100,000 more to receive financial help with their care costs The BBC Today programme ran a number of features during the week of February 6th, illustrating how the current policy is having drastic effects on families, tearing them apart with heartless bureaucracy. I took part in one of these programmes, describing how I had to pay nearly £400,000 for my late wife's care costs over 8 years, repeatedly refused help by NHS Continuing Healthcare over 5 years. I was only one of tens of thousands trapped in the 'No Man's Land' between the NHS and Social Care funding.

Distances in Harris, unlike Barra, are huge. It is very important, therefore, that people can wait for a bus in some comfort. At this very moment the Western Isles are being buffeted by high winds. Having to travel any distance is uncomfortable, but Stornoway is a long way away from Tarbert. From the West Highland Free Press "Council slammed for removing seats from Tarbert shelter. Elderly residents in Harris have complained over a situation in which they are having to wait for long period for a bus connection to Stornoway - and without proper waiting facilities."

My daughter who has learning difficulties and lives in a Mencap supported house, with my support, cancelled a package she had, despite the fact it was made clear at the time she could not act individually in this sort of situation she was phoned direct and phone/bullied into a new package she did not want causing her extreme distress.

Where there is a caring role, very often the family experience severe financial hardship and this is exacerbated if the carer cannot claim carers allowance. Many carers have to give up work, training or education to look after the person they care for and are unable to claim any money in recognition of their caring role if the person they care for is on ESA and does not qualify for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). An example of this is a 25 year old carer who had to drop out of university 4 years ago when his father died suddenly and his mother had a breakdown. She is unable to look after herself without his help yet he is unable to claim carers allowance as she is on ESA and has been refused PIP and he is unable to work because of his caring responsibilities. Consequently, they suffer extreme poverty and are in debt which has resulted in potential eviction from their home. Another example is a 17 year old who had to move from his father's house to another county to care for his mother who suffers extreme anxiety which means she is unable to leave the house on her own, answer the phone or the front door so relies heavily on her son. As he is only 17 and unable to work or engage in training or eduaction due to his caring role the family are unable to claim child benefit for him or carers allowance as the mother is on ESA and has been refused PIP. There are many more such examples and I feel strongly this needs to change so that those who suffer some of the wprst financial hardship are not made to suffer further.

Currently, in the UK everyone has to pass their maths and English language GCSE, regardless of any disabilities that may prevent them from doing so. Since 2013, all 16 to 18-year-old students who do not already have a grade C in English or maths have to continue studying the subjects. Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has said: “Inspection evidence shows that, for some students, having to retake their GCSE can be demotivating and that attendance at these lessons is lower.” My mother works in the field of special education and says it is upsetting and unfair to those with learning difficulties who just can't pass. It is obvious that some people are more able than others, and judging everyone by the same standards is unfair and wrong. I know of a 19-year-old resitting his GCSE maths and English for the fourth time this summer, and planning to continue trying for another two years. He is perfectly eloquent, has a job, and plans to join the army. The only thing holding him back is his dyslexia and dyscalculia (number and letter blindness) that means he can't read the test papers and is stopping him continuing with his life. We plan to ask the government to allow people with a diagnosed learning difficulty to stop repeating their GCSE Mathematics and English after they have completed full-time education (at 18) if they and a specialist learning support member both agree they do not wish to continue. The government should then be more flexible with other qualifications and job prospects.