Impact of the crisis on access to care for vulnerable groups Luk Zelderloo EASPD 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: 2 Sustainability Availability Quality and Innovation 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)

3 Employment Inclusive Education Independent Living Impact on Service users -From economic to human rights crisis- Impact on Persons with Disabilities SPAIN: unemployment +43% ITALY, UK: restrictions of elegibility conditions for support in schools GREECE: children with disabilities excluded from education General resegregation process (EFC Report) SPAIN: unemployment +43% ITALY, UK: restrictions of elegibility conditions for support in schools GREECE: children with disabilities excluded from education General resegregation process (EFC Report)

Additional costs for persons with disabilities 4 Less Services Available Higher costs for users Increasinf informal care support IRELAND: more than 25% people waitlisted for disability assessment and support services GREECE: people with disabilities waitlisted for disability assessment (EFC Report) IRELAND: more than 25% people waitlisted for disability assessment and support services GREECE: people with disabilities waitlisted for disability assessment (EFC Report)

Risk for the overall approach to disability 5 Paternalistic approach Human rights based approach: empowerment of persons with disabilities Vulnerability of persons with disability UNCRPD CRISIS

Growing inequalities in access to services 6 The austerity measures are creating new barriers to access to services: 1 st barrier: Inequalities due to income levels 2 nd barrier: Inequality Between different vulnerable groups disability is one of the hardest hit categories 3 rd barrier: Inequalities among disabled people Pesons with intellectual disabilities mental health problems children with disabilities People living in rural areas Are 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 7 Less funding to services More working poors Consequences on quality of services Less funding to services Less services/ higher costs Higher burden on informal carers

Social innovation 8 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 EASPDs work and its carried out by our members at grassroots level BUT they must be appropriately recognised and financed

What can the EU do? 9 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 services THROUGH: Social Investment Package Ensure funding to innovative services supporting people in the community THROUGH: 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 Zelderloo EASPD Av. d'Auderghem/ Oudergemlaan Brussels