1. What was the point of all those Recovery Working Groups if unpaid carers and people with support needs are once again facing the same issues that we were told would be addressed if there was ever another lockdown..?

2. Its only been a few hours since lockdown was announced & already we're hearing from unpaid carers who are:
unable to access online shopping slots
been told services for disabled people will close with immediate effect
unable to use their SDS to pay relatives for care

3. A lockdown in the middle of winter also means that we are all at home now - many will struggle to keep their homes warm...and no, carers allowance is most definitely not sufficient enough to address the fuel poverty that many families will now experience.

4. We also haven't managed to address how unpaid carers who are juggling work with caring roles will be supported during this lockdown e.g working parents of shielding children have had no guidance or support to remain at home with their children.

5. The National Carer Organisations in Scotland had asked for an additional Covid payment to be made to unpaid carers this winter. But apparently that wasn't deemed necessary by Scottish Gov.

6. Numerous reports in 2020 highlighted the current failings of SDS, and recommended that increased flexibility and reduced bureaucracy was urgently needed to address the needs of people with support needs during a pandemic...we are still waiting for this to happen in practice.

7. The 'Life after Lockdown' report also highlighted the need to ensure that local carers centres were sufficiently funded to support unpaid carers during a future pandemic/lockdown...again, still waiting for this to happen in practice.

8. Apologies for the rather depressing thread tonight - Im just so annoyed that those of us with lived experience of social care offered numerous solutions last year - all of which have repeatedly been ignored, because those in power somehow believe they know what is best for us.