Who we are

We are a team of dedicated lawyers, providing free legal advice and information for people with social care needs, helping them achieve a better quality of life. We are working towards a future where social care is adequately funded and we all get the support we need. Without access to justice, our rights may as well not exist.

Cost of living care crisis

As the cost of living rises and the value of the pound plunges, decisions made by the government now will affect us all for a generation. As a society, it is time for us to come together to stand up for what is right. We risk people dying in their homes unless we act fast.

The demand for our service has always been high but as a result of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and a government in turmoil – the demand is now at an unprecedented level.

There has been a 400% increase in the number of calls to national helplines and 500,000 on a waiting list for social care assessment. We urgently need to provide vital legal services to older and disabled people who have been impacted severely by the cost of living crisis.

We are aiming to raise £15k to support our legal team to carry out their vital work.

Your contribution will:-

• help us provide legal support to people unlawfully denied disability benefits

• help us provide legal casework to help families challenge unlawful social care charging decisions  

• help us expand our work with underserved and racialised communities with experience of health and social care inequalities to make sure Black Asian and Minority Ethnic people get the social care and welfare support they have a right to. 

• Help us train 20 Rights Champions to support groups to understand their legal rights and ensure learning is rippled out to the communities they represent.

What we do

We exist because millions are living in crisis, without the vital care and support that people need to live dignified, fulfilled and safe lives. Despite there being laws that entitle us to social care provision, people are overwhelmed and ill-informed of their rights.

Disabled children, parents, older people; and unpaid carers are more likely to live in poverty than the general population. Decades of real terms cuts to benefits and social care have eroded quality of life and pushed more families into extreme poverty. Access Social Care’s vision is for all older and disabled people with social care needs to get the support they need to live a dignified life. But at a time of extreme financial turbulence, it is even more worrying that support is not getting to families fast enough.  

Our Legal Team are at the very heart of the critical work that we do. We have a responsibility to support the capacity of our teams, to ensure that they have the strength and sustainability to keep delivering the most effective and life-changing services for older and disabled people who are not having their social care needs met (especially those in marginalised communities who are disproportionately affected by health and social care inequalities). 

Case Study

“I can’t wash or dress myself without support because of my physical disability. My council told me I would have to pay £200 per week to pay for social care support, but I live on disability benefits. There was no way I could afford it! I had to choose between food, heating and social care. I went for up to 14 days at a time living in the same clothes, I felt so ashamed I didn’t leave the house. I don’t know what I would have done without help from Access Social Care”