Norfolk mum 'losing sleep' over possible benefit cuts for son

Sharon Sapwell is worried about plans to reduce the Minimum Income Guarantee

A mother whose son has severe autism said she was losing sleep over a possible reduction to his disability benefits.

Sharon Sapwell, 53, cares for her son, 28, who also has epilepsy and seizures.

The county council is set to launch a consultation into plans to reduce the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) that pays for care.

Ms Sapwell, from Wormegay, near King's Lynn, Norfolk, said: "It's sent me into a state of panic and not sleeping."

Norfolk County Council is looking to save £52.2m from its budget for the next financial year.

Norfolk County Council is looking to save £52.2m

Some of the cuts it is considering include reducing the MIG allowance for disabled people.

MIG is the amount of money people with disabilities can have before they have to pay for their own care.

In Norfolk the rate is currently set at £187 a week, but the county council is considering lowering it to £171.25 a week, to bring it in line with neighbouring authorities such as Suffolk, Essex and Hertfordshire.

Ms Sapwell said: "There's just no more to cut back.

"There's many families who are having to stop care altogether because they cannot afford care charges.

"With the reduction of the MIG, if there's a choice between care charges and heating the house, what are they going to choose?"

On 5 February, the council was given an extra £9.5m by the government, the majority of which was to help towards children's social care.

Disability campaigners wrote to the council, calling for the consultation on the reduction of the MIG to not go ahead, but the authority decided to press ahead.

Andrew Jamieson, Conservative, welcomed the extra government funding

Andrew Jamieson, cabinet member for finance, said: "I was extremely pleased to see that [government] funding come through.

"But, of course, it is just one year. I have got to find ways in which the budget for the people of Norfolk can be long term, robust and sustainable."

The consultation on the MIG is due to start on 19 February and run for 12 weeks.