Learning Disability Coalition

Care matters to me

A guide to meeting your MP

MPs are responsible for representing the interests of everybody in their constituency – they are your voice in Parliament.  To be your voice in Parliament your MP needs to know what is important to you.

In March 2012, the Government will publish a white paper on social care.  This will set out how the Government wants to reform social care and how it will be funded.  We are asking everyone to meet with their MP to tell them why care matters and why the Government needs to introduce a fair, sustainable and well funded care system.  A new care system needs to be able to support everyone who needs it, older people and people of working age.

If the Government is going to make a care system that works for everybody, we need people to make it clear to politicians what they want.
You can do this in 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Email your MP to ask for a meeting
You can write your own letter or you can email your MP here.
Your letter should explain that you would like to meet your MP to talk about why care matters to you.

Step 2: Follow up with a phone call
Follow up your letter or email with a phone call.  You will probably speak to your MP’s researcher or diary secretary.  Tell them about your letter or email and ask to meet with your MP.
Make sure you receive written confirmation of your meeting.

Step 3: Meet with your MP

Top tips for meeting with your MP

1. Make sure that you arrive on time and take your meeting confirmation with you.
2. Be polite, persistent and positive when you talk to your MP.  They need to know that this is their chance to change the way things are and leave a legacy of a better care system.
3. Be prepared – take some information from the Care Matters to Me and Learning Disability Coalition’s website.
4. Ask your MP how much time they have for the meeting e.g. 30 minutes.
5. Give an introduction – “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me/us.  I am here today because I support the “care matters to me” campaign and I want to see the Government creating a care system which works for everybody.”
6. Tell your MP where they can find out more information on the Dilnot Commission’s report (http://www.dilnotcommission.dh.gov.uk/), the Law Commission’s report (http://www.justice.gov.uk/lawcommission/publications/1460.htm) and on the Care Matters to Me website or the Learning Disability Coalition’s website.
7. Explain your experience of care and support to your MP.  You could tell them about the support that you receive now and the support you need to live your life.  You could tell them how it makes a difference to you and your family’s lives.  This helps your MP to understand why care matters.
8. Ask your MP to bring an end to the care crisis and tell Parliament why care matters to us all.  Here are 6 things that you can ask your MP to do to show their support:
   1. Sign up as a supporter on the Care Matters to Me website.
   2. Put a Care Matters to Me logo on their website – copies of the logo can be found on the Care Matters to Me website.
   3. Write to Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minster Nick Clegg, Leader of the Opposition Ed Milliband, Chancellor George Osborne and Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls to show their support for a better, fairer funded social care system based on the views of people in their constituency.
   4. Raise the issue of social care in their political parties and tell other MPs of their support for the idea.
   5. Give a speech or ask a question in Parliament about social care.
   6. Make sure that everyone in their constituency knows that they support a better, fairer funded social care system.  This could be through the local media or at public events.
9. Ask if you can take a picture of your MP holding a “care matters to me” sign.  You can download a copy of the sign here.
10. Request a follow-up meeting in one month to find out what actions your MP took.
11. Thank your MP for their interest and support.  You could leave a copy of 10 reasons why we need better, fairer funded social care.

What questions might your MP ask?

Here are some questions your MP might ask and some possible answers for you to give.

MP: What do the Dilnot Commission and the Law Commission recommend?

The Law Commission has recommended that there should be a single statute to cover all adult social care law.  At the moment the law around adult social care is confusing and is not in one single place.  This will help simplify the system.

The Dilnot Commission has recommended that care costs should be capped at £35,000 per person over a lifetime.

Care and support should be free for people who are born with a care need or who develop one early on in life.

Assessments should be portable so that it is easier for people to move  between local authorities.

MP: Social care is really important, but the country is in a difficult financial situation and we can’t afford to spend any more money on services.

The country is four times richer than in 1948 when the NHS was established.

The care system is in crisis now and this will only get worse as there are more people who need care.  We should be celebrating that people are living longer but we need to recognise that people need more support too.

The Government spends £110 billion on health and only £16 billion on social care.

When people reach a crisis situation they often end up reliant on the health system which costs more in the long run.  Providing preventative support helps to save money.

MP: I am sure that a reformed social care system would really help people and I’d like to support it but it would be irresponsible to introduce it before the economy is stronger.  We need to be able to support the extra annual funding of a new system.

We already spend £16 billion per year on social care support for older people and people of working age. 

The King’s Fund has said that if we don’t change the system, the cost of the current system will double by 2026.

This will mean the Government is spending much more, but without having made the reforms which will make a big difference to people’s lives.

Thank you for taking action and telling your MP why care matters to you.

Take action!

1. Join the campaign on Facebook or Twitter.

2. Spread the word - ask your friends to join the campaign.

3. Meet to your MP and tell them why care matters to you.

4. Read our guide to meeting your MP.

5. Tell us how your meeting went.