Financial Secretary Contacts UK Autism Foundation On Autism And The Economic Downturn

Main Category: Autism
Article Date: 27 Jul 2009 - 23:00 PDT

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The Financial Secretary to Her Majesty's Government, Rt. Hon. Stephen Timms MP has written to Ivan Corea of the UK Autism Foundation, pledging support for families with autism.

The UK Autism Foundation has been lobbying and campaigning on behalf of families with autism who are below the poverty line. UKAF is maintaining that the credit crunch and the recession is driving many families into poverty and they need urgent help. Some autism carers are surviving on just 75 pence an hour, there are those who have no access to any allowances. Recently, 54 members of parliament of all parties supported the call of the UK Autism Foundation for Her Majesty's Government to increase the Carer's Allowance - they signed early day motion 1551 in the House of Commons calling for urgent action.

Ivan Corea has called on the Prime Minister and the Government to reach out to parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome, particularly during the economic downturn.

Financial Secretary Stephen Timms writing personally to the South Woodford based UK Autism Foundation said: 'This Government is committed to improving services for people with autism and their families. The Department of Health is currently consulting on a strategy for adults with autistic spectrum disorders and will be publishing a strategy, the first of its kind, by the end of the year. Work across Government is seeking to address the issues you raise, for example by funding research the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorders to inform the strategy, and by publishing guidance to support local authrorities and healthcare commissioners in commissioning services for those with autism. Funding to support those living with autism has also increased significantly through grants such as the £500,000 in 2009-2010 to the Autism Education Trust to promote better commissioning of autism services for children, and through the £770m invested in the Aiming Higher for Disabled Children Programme.'

The Financial Secretary writing from HM Treasury went on to state: 'You specifically mention support for those people worst affected by the current downturn, and highlight the challenges that the families with of people with autism face. Helping those people who are experiencing difficulties in the current economic climate is one of this Government's key priorities. At the 2009 Budget, the Chancellor announced a series of measures to support families with children, pensioners and those seeking employment. This included an increase to the child element of the Child Tax Credit of £20 a year above indexation from April 2010, providing valuable support to families with children. He also announced an additional £125 million in 2009-10 and £145 million in 2010-11 to the Social Fund which was established to provide interest free loans to vulnerable people allowing them to meet and spread the payments of unexpected costs over a longer time frame. I trust that over the next year you will see the effects of the work we are putting in place to support those with autistic spectrum disorders and their families,' said Stephen Timms.

UKAF welcomed the statement of the Financial Secretary and urged the Government to increase the tax credits, the disability living allowance and the carer's allowance over the next year. 'People are suffering, some autiusm carers are on 75 pence an hour other don't even have allowances. The economic downturn is hitting vulnerable families very hard indeed. We have appealed to Her Majesty's Government to help the poor, they are bearing the brunt of the economic crisis, they need urgent help and support,' said Ivan Corea.

Source
UK Autism Foundation