On 16 March,
the Government
The Government are the people who run the country. They decide how much
tax
Tax is the money that pays for things like schools, hospitals and the police. There are different types of taxes like
income tax
Income tax is the money that is taken out of the money you earn every month. It helps to pay for things we all need like hospitals and schools.
,
VAT
VAT is also called Value Added Tax. VAT is the extra money you pay when you buy things. The money goes to the government to pay for things like schools and hospitals.
and
council tax
Council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
Tax is the money that people pay to the
council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
.
people should pay for things and how things like the National Health
Service
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support.
should work.
released a Spring Statement (also known as the Spring
Budget
A budget is a plan where you look at how much money you have and how you will spend it.
) updating the public about its progress towards its financial goals.
Jackie O’Sullivan, Executive Director of Communication,
Advocacy
Advocacy is when you get support to have your say.
and
Activism
Activism is taking action to make change. Going to a
campaign
A campaign is when people work together to try to change something.
event with others, writing letters and speaking up are all ways to take action.
at
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
charity Mencap responds to the Spring Statement:
"Today's budget included absolutely nothing to tackle the dire state of social care and the NHS
The NHS is the National Health Service. The NHS gives free healthcare to everyone in the UK and includes things like your GP (doctors) surgery and hospitals. . Instead the Chancellor prioritised crumbling roads over the crumbling social care and health system.
"The extended energy support announced in today's budget is welcome, but the Government should commit to long-term targeted support and introduce a discounted social energy tariff.
"The Disability White Paper
A White Paper is a report that is written by the government. It talks about new rules the government wants to make. promises some positive changes for people with a learning disability, like the removal of the Work Capability Assessment
An assessment is a way of finding out what help a person needs. When you have an assessment, you might have to go to a meeting or fill in a form. , but as always the devil is in the detail. The government continues to focus on threats and financial sanctions, rather than addressing inadequate benefit rates and investing in supporting people into work. These priorities reflect a lack of understanding of the experience
Experience is when you have learned or tried something before. of people with a learning disability.”