January 2025 newsletter

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Welcome to the January edition of your Inclusion Barnet member newsletter! 

It's packed with info on consultations, services, community events and ways to be heard. You'll also find some of the top local and national news affecting Disabled people including those with mental health issues and long-term conditions.

To find out more about each article, just click on its title.

Inclusion Barnet News

What to expect in 2025

It’s a New Year and on the social security front there are new issues coming down the pipeline.

In the Spring, the Government says it will at last reveal its proposals for the future of disability benefits. There will then be a consultation. We say that Disabled people should be involved at an early stage in working with Government to design these proposals – as it’s Disabled people who have first-hand knowledge of what is needed.

But we can’t do that under threat of benefit cuts – and Ministers are saying that “savings” proposed by the Conservative Government will go ahead. We say that benefit cuts should be taken off the table. Benefit costs can be reduced by enabling Disabled people to find decent jobs where work is a realistic option; and sorting out NHS waiting lists and inadequate social care.

During 2025, the Government also says it will finish rolling out Universal Credit (UC). This means that people getting Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) will get a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions telling them they need to claim UC instead (unless their ESA is based on National Insurance contributions – this isn’t affected).

Some people will be better off getting UC. Those who would be worse off will usually get their old benefit rate frozen till the new one catches up. But we want to be sure there are no hassles in transferring over to UC. Let us know if there are.

Sign up to our Campaign for Disability Justice newsletters to keep up to date on action we’re taking and help grow our community of supporters. Your support makes a real difference!

Geoff Fimister,
Head of Policy, Inclusion Barnet

Get involved: champion disability rights

Want to try something new this year? Here are some ways you could get involved in our work and disability rights:

• Become a member of Inclusion Barnet. Your membership helps make sure the views of Disabled people in Barnet are represented where it counts.
• Volunteer at one of our libraries.
• Share your views in local and national campaigns.
• Support our Campaign for Disability Justice. We're calling on the Government to work with Disabled-led organisations to make workplaces accessible and improve social security for all.
• Encourage others to get involved! Forward this newsletter to someone you know to spread awareness about our work and national campaign.

Survey reveals funding crisis for UK DPOs Advice Services

Our CEO, Caroline Collier, recently shared her concerns about the funding crisis affecting advice services run by Disabled People's Organisations (DPOs). AdviceUK found that 41% of DPOs are uncertain about their future due to financial instability. Caroline said “At a time when the safety net is weak, properly funded DDPO advice providers are vital to ensure that people understand and access the support that is still available.”

Read more in these articles by Disability Rights UK and Disability News Service.

Starters & leavers

Last month we welcomed Julia Daniels, who joined Healthwatch Barnet as a Senior Researcher. Liam Konemann also joined us as Communications Officer for our Community Organisation Support team, part of the Barnet Together partnership.

Opportunities to create change

Visit our consultations and campaigns page on the Inclusion Barnet website for all the latest opportunities to have your say on local and national issues that impact Disabled people in Barnet.

Did you know? Some local consultations receive as few as 14 online responses*. With just 15 members like you we can sway decisions on accessibility, support, and resources in Barnet.

Here's some of the top opportunities to get involved in this month:

Barnet Council Budget consultation

There is a new Barnet Council consultation on their 2025 to 2026 Budget. The Budget outlines how the council plans to spend its money. Barnet Council is facing a significant budget shortfall and is seeking public input on proposed cost-saving measures. These proposals could impact essential services and potentially increase financial burdens on residents. 

The council have proposed:  

• Cutting costs in some areas of the council
• Finding new ways to make money (e.g. charging more for some services)
• Increasing Council Tax by 2.98%
• Adding an extra charge to Council Tax specifically for adult social care (2%)

You can share feedback on:

• The overall budget and their saving/income proposals
• The proposed Council Tax increase
• The proposed extra charge for adult social care

Fill out their online questionnaire to give your feedback. More info is on our website.

Closes 22 January 2025.

South Mead / Corner Mead NW9 – proposed parking spaces in Colindale CPZ (CL2) consultation

The council want to turn land that was occupied by old garages into parking bays for local residents. These new parking spots will be part of the Colindale Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ code CL2). Residents who have CL2 permits and visitor vouchers will be able to use these new parking areas from Monday to Friday, between 9am and 4pm.

Closes 23 January 2025.

Have your say: SEND Travel Assistance

The council are reviewing their policy for SEND Travel Assistance, a service for young people aged between 16 and 19 years.

The proposed changes are focused on promoting independence. The options they are considering are:

• Independent Travel Training (ITT) 
• Utilising free and discounted public transport options 
• Cycling allowance 
• Personal Transport Allowance (PTA). 
• 16 -19 Bursary funding 
• Care to Learn financial support 
• Residential support scheme 
• Increasing designated pick-up and drop-off points instead of door-to-door service 
• Annual contribution of £650 for students qualifying under exceptional circumstances for shared transport (50% reduction for low-income families) 

Have your say by filling out the questionnaire.

Closes: 31 January 2025 

Represent Mental Health in Barnet

Barnet Council Adult Social Care are recruiting for a second Mental Health Representative to join their Involvement Board.

They are looking for a resident of Barnet who is over 18 years old who has experience of using mental health services. They are particularly keen to hear from people who have lived experience of mental health social work services.

The Involvement Board is made up of Barnet residents with lived experience across different areas of adult social care.

Express your interest in the role by 7th February.

To learn more and ask any questions, get in touch at engage.adults@barnet.gov.uk

Have your say: Protecting the rights of tenants

Barnet Council have developed a new Private Tenants’ Charter to raise awareness of tenants’ rights in the borough. The charter sets out the standards and legal obligations that landlords and agents must follow to protect the rights of private tenants. This includes protection from disability discrimination. 

They would like to hear your views on what the charter should look like, how they can raise awareness of tenants’ rights, and whether these rights are being upheld across the borough.  

Read the draft charter and fill out the short questionnaire to have your say.

Closes: 16 February 2025.

Share your experience of finding public loos in London

The London Loo Alliance is a coalition of charities, trade unions, civic societies, resident and community associations, researchers and equality campaigners joining together to demand more and better public toilets in London.

They would like to hear from people who struggle to find loos in London due to inaccessibility. Access barriers could include having to pay to use a public loo, not having enough information to locate one nearby, and finding loos that have wheelchair access, changing places, and baby changing facilities. 

The London Loo Alliance will use the results from this survey to show why it’s important to have good public toilets in London. 

Share your experiences finding accessible loos by filling out their survey.

Transport survey for people with a Learning Disability

Mencap would like to hear from people with a Learning Disability about your experiences using public transport. They would like to hear about how this impacts your wellbeing, access to your community and access to work. This will help Mencap talk with the government and other organisations to represent the experiences of people with a Learning Disability.

Get involved by filling out their survey.

More ways to get involved

• Find all of Barnet Council's consultations on the Engage Barnet website.
• Visit our consultations and campaigns page on the Inclusion Barnet website.

*For example: Barnet Council's proposed Fees and Charges 2024-25 for services, which got 14 online responses.

Local news

Find your nearest warm spaces

Warm Spaces is a community-led initiative where businesses, community, faith or social enterprise organisations provide a welcoming space for residents to stay warm and engage with others in their community.  

You can find more resources about staying well this winter on the council website.

Colindale station reopens after first phase of upgrade

Colindale station reopened last month, on 20 December. The station has completed its first phase and is currently accessible using the new staircase. The station is going through a major upgrade and will introduce step-free access via a lift in autumn 2025. Information screens in the ticket hall and platforms are not available while the station is being upgraded. Customers are encouraged to plan their journeys in advance using TfL's real-time travel tools, such as TfL Go and TfL Journey Planner.

Free support group for men

Free-to-attend peer-to-peer support group for men aged over 18 every Monday night at 7pm except Bank Holidays.

The Meritage Centre, Church End, London NW4 4JT. There is step-free access.

New social group for people experiencing isolation

No One Left Behind is a social group to help people experiencing social isolation. All ages are welcome. 

Every Thursday, drop in between 2pm to 4pm. 

Arts Depot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, N12 0GA. Located on the top floor near the coffee shop. There is lift access and an accessible toilet on this level. 

‘A social group meeting like-minded kind people in the community. Make friends. Have a cuppa.’

If you have any questions, email John on: Loizou_john@ymail.Com 

National issue - local impact

Winter Health NHS information in accessible formats

The NHS Winter Health website has information available in Large Print, Easy Read, BSL, and audio formats. Scroll to the end of their website for links to each version.

Be an Access Champion

Discounts for Disabled people and/or carers

Purpl was founded by a Disabled person with MS to help offset the extra costs of living as a Disabled person. The scheme asks for evidence such as a Blue Badge, Disabled Bus Pass, or benefit entitlement letter. You can access discounts to aids, tech, and more.

Join us

Become a member of Inclusion Barnet

Individual membership is FREE and is for Disabled people, which may include long term conditions or mental health issues, and/or carers. Find out how being a member and sharing your lived experience can lead to positive change on our website.

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About Us

Inclusion Barnet is a Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation (DDPO), based in Barnet, North-West London. This means that all of our Trustees and most of our staff have lived experience of disability. Learning to use lived experience for social change is a skill. We use this understanding to design and deliver higher quality, more person-centred services.

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