It has been too long since my last blog, and when someone recently asked whether I was too blogged down to blog, I realised that it was time to get back to the drawing...Ooops I think I mean keyboard. But so much as happened since the last time I blogged, I am finding it hard to prioritise.

Since my last spiel we have seen the creation of a coalition government and locally the introduction of personal budgets and planned changes to the Direct Payments Support Service. With so much change taking place it is no wonder that many people feel uncertain about the future. Whilst the changes taking place eg public spending cuts, are likely to have a significant impact on everyone, there is already evidence to show that disabled people will be one of the groups hardest hit.

At a recent meeting of KCIL users, a number of people voiced their fears that the level of funding that they get for support may be cut at their next review. Some people have said that just thinking about the possibility of a reduction in their support is having a negative impact on their health. It is important that disabled and older people get the appropriate level of support or funding to meet their assessed needs appropriately.  A number of our members have voiced an interest in offering support to people around issues that may arise from their review and KCIL will also support people who need further information or support to deal with these issues too.

Employment has always been a big issue for disabled people. For many people just finding a suitable job with a decent wage is a challenge. For others, it is maintaining employment. In the current climate things will only get tougher as KCIL has dealt with at least one case where a disabled person has been targeted when an employer wanted to make redundancies or cut staff working hours. Employers may suggest that the only way to keep your job is to take a pay cut and many organisations have had to consider this option for their workforce over the past year. However, it is illegal if the only people they single out for pay cuts and demotion (regrading) are their disabled employees. We referred one person to the Disability Law Centre and they were able to successfully support this person to retain their rightful terms and conditions and most importantly keep their job.

Tomorrow, we are hosting an event in partnership with RBK in order to gather your views and experiences in response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's call for evidence for the Inquiry into Harassment and Hate Crimes against Disabled People. I recently read a staggering report outlining the level of crime committed against disabled people in the UK during the months March to May 2010. The Snap Shot Report of Targeted Hostility towards Disabled People in UK by UK disabled Peoples Council, June 2010, shows that the media reported on 141 cases of crimes committed against disabled people during the three month period. Of these, there were 23 murders, one death, one attempted murder, 46 assaults and one kidnap. This cannot be allowed to continue and we hope that by providing evidence to the Commission the disabled people of Kingston will be able bring about positive change within the agencies that exist to support or bring justice for the victims of hate crimes.