The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Government accused of neglecting Frank’s Law
Key details for feasibility study only go public after Courier call
Scottish ministers’ commitment to giving Frank’s Law a fair hearing has been questioned after it took an intervention from The Courier to force crucial details to be made accessible to the public.
A feasibility study is under way into the extension of free personal care to people under the age of 65, with the results due to be reported in the summer.
Questioning by Miles Briggs, the Conservative mental health spokesman, revealed, however, that no information was available on the Scottish Government’s website. Details were only uploaded once The Courier asked the Government if it was genuinely committed to a full consultation.
Mr Briggs said: “It is totally unacceptable that it has taken the Scottish Government more than six months to post details of the feasibility study – and how people can get involved – on its own website and that it appears to have done so only after being prompted by myself and the media.
“Many people will be questioning just how committed the Scottish Government is to ensuring this feasibility study is as comprehensive and informed as possible.
“A number of relevant charities in the field have not been contacted and already there are concerns that the study will be limited.”
Amanda Kopel has been urging ministers to close the loophole that left her family paying around £300 a week after her husband, Dundee United legend Frank, was diagnosed with dementia in 2009 aged just 59.
He did not reach the qualifying age for free services until weeks before his death in April 2014.
The Courier is backing Mrs Kopel’s bid for Frank’s Law, which is a campaign to deliver free personal care to people who are aged under 65 with debilitating illnesses, provided they are assessed as needing it.
She was at Holyrood yesterday to meet officials and discuss the way forward for a private member’s bill being brought forward by Mr Briggs to make the campaign a reality in law.
There is a parliamentary majority supporting the campaign, with every party bar the SNP backing the call for a fairer care system.
A series of councils, including Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth and Kinross, have also backed the bid.
The bill is expected to be put forward before Holyrood goes into recess for the summer at the end of June, meaning consultation will be taking place when the SNP administration’s consultation reports back over the summer.
A Scottish Government spokesman pointed out that £6 million has been invested to raise the charging threshold.
He said: “We are committed to examining the extension of free personal and nursing care for those under 65 and are currently undertaking a feasibility study to consider the benefits, costs and constraints involved.
“At the moment we are in the data collection stage, meeting with local authorities and stakeholders – including representatives from the Scotland Against the Care Tax campaign.
“We are also inviting any interested members of the public to send us their thoughts by email or post, which will be carefully considered.”