Impact of the crisis on access to care for vulnerable groups

Luk ZelderlooEASPD Secretary General

Social Services Europe Board Member

Impact of the crisis on support services

-State of play-EASPD has monitored the impact of the crisis on social and health services for persons with disabilities since 2009:

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Impact on services

IRELAND: 15%-23% cut in direct funding to social service providers

GREECE: 50-66% cut in funding for not for profit service providers

HUNGARY: 15% cut in funding to residential services for psychiatric patients

(EFC Report)

IRELAND: 15%-23% cut in direct funding to social service providers

GREECE: 50-66% cut in funding for not for profit service providers

HUNGARY: 15% cut in funding to residential services for psychiatric patients

(EFC Report)

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Impact on Service users-From economic to human

rights crisis-

Impact on Persons with Disabilities

SPAIN:unemployment +43% 2005-2009

ITALY, UK: restrictions of elegibility conditions for support in schools

GREECE: 180.000 children with disabilities excluded from education

General resegregation process

(EFC Report)

SPAIN:unemployment +43% 2005-2009

ITALY, UK: restrictions of elegibility conditions for support in schools

GREECE: 180.000 children with disabilities excluded from education

General resegregation process

(EFC Report)

Additional costs for persons with disabilities

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IRELAND: more than 25% people waitlisted for disability assessment and support services

GREECE: 60.000 people with disabilities waitlisted for disability assessment

(EFC Report)

IRELAND: more than 25% people waitlisted for disability assessment and support services

GREECE: 60.000 people with disabilities waitlisted for disability assessment

(EFC Report)

Risk for the overall approach to disability

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UNCRPDUNCRPD

CRISISCRISIS

Growing inequalities in access to services

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The austerity measures are creating new barriers to access to services:

•1st barrier: Inequalities due to income levels

•2nd barrier: Inequality Between different vulnerable groups

• disability is one of the hardest hit categories

•3rd barrier: Inequalities among disabled people• Pesons with intellectual disabilities • mental health problems • children with disabilities• People living in rural areasAre more disadvantaged

1 out of 5 persons with disabilities is at risk of poverty

(2010 ANED study)

1 out of 5 persons with disabilities is at risk of poverty

(2010 ANED study)

New vulnerable group: care workers/ informal

carers

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Social innovation

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• CONCERN: used by the EU and MS as a mean to save costs

• Social innovation in the disability sector should aim at implementing the UNCRPD and empower persons with disabilities

• Service providers want to cooperate with the EC in defining needs, proposing innovative solutions, evaluating and scaling up social innovation

CONTRADDICTION: call for social innovation yet cuts to most innovative services

This is a pillar of EASPD’s work and it’s carried out by our members at grassroots level

BUT they must be appropriately recognised and financed

What can the EU do?

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• Take a clear position for smart cuts in the social and health sector

Adopting document such as the ENIL Resolution on the effect of cuts in public spending on PWD in the EU

• Protect spending in social policy and social servicesTHROUGH: Social Investment Package

• Ensure funding to innovative services supporting people in the communityTHROUGH: European Social Fund, ERDF and others ACCORDING TO: UNCRPD and EDS

• promote recruitment in social care services (in particular for young people)

• Promote social dialogue in the non-profit social care sector

ACCORDING TO: EC Employment Package EU 2020 Strategy

THROUGH: LLP programme• Facilitate data collection

THROUGH: Horizon 2020

Thank you!

Luk ZelderlooEASPD

Av. d'Auderghem/ Oudergemlaan 631040 Brussels

+32 22 82 46 10www.easpd.eu