Councillors To Question "Screwtiny" Cabinet Member

UserWatch keen to learn lessons that can be transfered to Birmingham and Solihull interested Service Users is keeping in touch with the story developing in nearby Coventry where £3 a day cuts by the Council Cabinet have been proposed on Learning Disability Service Users of the CROW recycling facility.

The paltry £3 a day represents what Users can earn as a benefit "disregard" without their benefits being affected.


UserWatch has received an email tonight regarding the Coventry situation from one of the Surrey Campaigners Mr Des Curley , who has been campaigning in a similar situation for a better deal for Service Users who had their £3 a day taken from them in Surrey and Borders Partnership Mental Health Trust only for it to be re-instated by the pressure brought by the campaign.

From that email Councillors of the Labour group in Coventry look set to question the Cabinet member involved in the proposals to cut the £3 a day payment to Service Users at the CROW facility ..

The email to Userwatch reads :

Dear Mr. Curley,

Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding the ceasation of the £15 per week disregard to people with learning difficulties.

I would like to inform you that all members of the Labour Group of Councillors voted against this proposal at the meeting of full Council. In addition to this we have "called in " the item and insisted that the Cabinet Member appear before Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee to answer questions and account for the decision. The meeting will be held at 1-00p.m. on Wednesday 22nd. November and will be held in public, which means that yourself and anyone else that is interested can attend and listen to the debate.

I hope that interested parties do their best to attend.

Yours sincerely,

John Mutton,

Leader of the Labour Group.


See also Coverage of the story at :

Surrey & Borders Campaign

Mandy's Lifeboat News

BBC