Cuts campaigners to hand in 20,000 name petition

The Don’t Cut Us Out Campaign will go to Chichester tomorrow to present West Sussex County Council with a 20,000 name petition.

The campaigners are unhappy that the council plans to stop providing care to adults with ‘moderate’ care needs and have highlighted to The County Times several cases in which people have lost out on financial help.

The county council have defended their review of adult care. A spokesman said: “The decision to focus on substantial and critical level needs only brings the County Council in line with 82 percent of English authorities.

“A total of 122 authorities focus on substantial and critical level needs, of which six are at critical, and just 22 are still providing for moderate level needs.”

But Barry Pickthall of the Don’t Cut Us Out Campaign disagrees. He said: “West Sussex has a disproportionately high elderly and disabled population with many people moving here to retire, or to provide their disabled children with a better environment.

“Cllr Peter Catchpole’s (Cabinet member for adults’ services) comparisons with what other counties are doing is irrelevant. He is comparing apples with pears.

“WSCC councillors were voted in to represent the needs of West Sussex residents, not those in other counties.”

Sussex Bishops have now put their support behind the campaign group. Read the latest in this week’s County Times.

What are your views on the cuts to adult social care? Have you been affected? Contact us at the County Times on [email protected] or leave your comment below.