Hello and welcome Friends and Supporters,
We’re heading into Autumn already, but it feels like only yesterday we were strutting our stuff at our 20th anniversary summer fashion show! It was a fantastic, joyous night that everyone really loved, and we raised over £700 into the bargain. We have had such great feedback about the event, and it was good to see so many of our friends and supporters there. See the link below for pictures and more about the evening.
We have just completed our latest People’s Parliament on the topic of transport. Watch out for a report on that in the coming weeks!
In early September we braved the transport network ourselves and went up to Birmingham for the fourth Positive Voices self-advocacy conference. The topic was health, and it was very timely. That same week the latest Leder report was released after much campaigning about why it was so delayed. Sadly, it showed that people with learning disabilities are still dying before their time and that they experience some of the worst health inequalities of any group in society. This is something we will continue to campaign about. With health and council services moving to a more neighbourhood-based way of working, it is important that people with learning disabilities are involved in how those services work. We must make sure any new services are accessible to people and work to address some of the unacceptable health inequalities that we have seen year on year.
Our 1-2-1 advocacy service is seeing a big increase in Universal Credit migrations. Read more below about what you need to do if you or someone you support gets a letter about moving over to this benefit. You can also read an interesting piece from one of our advocates about people not getting the support they need to read medical correspondence. Maybe this is one of the many reasons why people experience health inequalities.
1-2-1 Advocacy
- People's Parliament -
On 19 September we held our popular People’s Parliament.
Our topic of discussion was transport and we were delighted to have guests from Transport for London, the DLR and station way finders join us for a lively discussion and some interesting workshops.
The workshops covered the following:
- accessibility in public transport
- hate crime and sexual harassment
- travel concessions
We had brilliant questions for our transport expert guests speakers.
Our Transport Parliament report will be out soon!
For your diary
Our next People’s Parliament will be on Friday 5 December
from 10.30 – 3.00 at the Catford Civic Suite.
The topic is Relationships.
Further details to be provided closer to the time.
Please email Ellie at ellie.spirrett@lsup.org.uk for any information.
- Positive Voices Conference -
- Fashion Show -
- Big Group -
We have continued our monthly Big Groups over the summer, where we’ve had catch ups and talked about important subjects.
June
We talked about the ‘We Can’t Wait’ campaign that we are working on with My Life My Choice. We want people with learning disabilities to be prioritized on NHS waiting lists to stop people from dying before their time. We gave feedback on their action plan, and now our reps are working on sharing this with hospital managers.
1-2-1 Advocacy
Jan, our part-time 1-2-1 Community Advocate talks about support, as well as an update on a current case .
You can contact her on 07432 854 952.
Hi Guys,
I’d like to share a concern I’ve had for some time now. We know that many people with learning disability struggle to read, write and fill in applications whether online or by hand.
I’ve discovered that some of the people we work with, who are eligible for care or support, are still not getting the help they need from their support workers to read their correspondence. This is despite people asking for help to read letters. This is worrying to say the least. As we know, lots of people with learning disabilities can have multiple health conditions for example heart conditions, diabetes, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, and hypertension to name a few. We also know that some people have died prematurely because they might not be aware of their condition or how serious it can be if left untreated.
It is fundamental that the relationship between support workers and the people they support is based on patience, trust and honesty. People being supported should be able to ask for help reading their correspondence without fear or shame. Once support workers receive this request, they should be respectful and understanding and do as asked.
Many people will get correspondence from their doctor, such as text messages or letters inviting them to attend an appointment. Support workers should be supporting people with reading and understanding their correspondence. This is especially true for medical correspondence, as they could be missing doctors or hospital appointments. If the person does not attend because they were not aware they had an appointment, the doctor or hospital may cancel any consultation or procedure, leading to serious results. The doctors or hospital might feel that the patient is not taking their health seriously. This might cause a person to be pushed down the waiting list resulting in their health deteriorating further.
On many occasions, I have heard people say they missed out on medical appointments because they didn’t understand their correspondence. Sometimes doctors or hospital appointments may not be isolated incidents, they may require further investigation. This could mean tests and assessments at different departments. Consequently, the person ends up with a medical time-table of dates, times and locations which can be very difficult to manage.
If someone lacks financial capacity there are multiple agencies that can offer support so why is there not an equal interest when it comes to addressing someone’s health? I feel this is just as valid or even more so.
Remember that in the last newsletter I shared a story of a person who wanted to move? He is still very enthusiastic to move. Unfortunately, there were some setbacks in getting his medical records and this meant providing evidence to the panel was delayed. Therefore we are still waiting for a decision on his eligibility to move into a new home. Join me in next newsletter when we should have a decision!
Michelle, our part-time Finance Advocate, has news on the Warm Home Discount Scheme and Universal Credit.
Phone her on 07565 280 157 if you need to chat about this.
A. The Warm Home Discount scheme for this winter will soon be open!
The Warm Home Discount Scheme offers a £150 credit towards winter electricity bills, if you are a low-income household. It is normally paid between October and March.
Energy suppliers will begin accepting applications or sending automatic letters soon and you can check if you qualify using the online tool on the GOV.UK from October 2025.
What it is:
- A £150 discount applied directly to your electricity bill during October to March.
- You won’t be paid in cash. The £150 is credited to your account or given as a top-up voucher if you have a prepayment meter.
- The scheme is managed by energy suppliers. It is not a government payment.
Eligibility for 2025/26:
- For England and Wales, the scheme is being expanded to include more households.
- Eligibility will be based on receiving a qualifying means-tested benefit, like Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance or Guarantee, or the credit part of Pension Credit.
How to Apply:
1. Check your eligibility
Use the online tool on the GOV.UK website to see if you qualify for the 2025/26 scheme (available from October 2025).
2. Contact your energy supplier:
If you are eligible, you may receive a letter from your supplier between October and December 2025, confirming your automatic rebate or providing instructions to call a helpline.
B. Moving from ESA to Universal Credit: What you need to know!
Wait for your Migration Notice:
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will send you a letter inviting you to claim Universal Credit.
Note the deadline:
The letter will state a deadline, usually around 3 months from the date you receive it. It is important that you don’t leave it to the deadline to apply – especially if you need help to apply.
Claim by the deadline:
Apply for Universal Credit before the deadline on your notice to keep your entitlement and receive transitional protection.
Prepare your application:
You’ll need to check your identity and gather some other information for the online application:
- Who is your housing provider and how much is your rent
- Who do you bank with and your bank account details
- Do you have any savings accounts and the amounts in that account
- You will need to have a username and password. You will also need to choose the answers to two security questions.
Ring Lewisham Speaking Up when you get the letter and we can help you apply.
We can also put you in touch with the Jobcentre Disability Employment Advisors, who can help you apply.
Referral forms can be found here