We're urging public finance to protect vital services

We’re calling on the Scottish government to protect social security and invest in mental health services.

We’ve highlighted many of the challenges that people with Parkinson’s and their families face in two recent Scottish Parliament consultations:

  • The Health, Social Care, and Sport Committee’s consultation on mental health spending.
  • The Social Justice and Social Security Committee’s consultation on future social security spending in Scotland.

These consultations are part of the Scottish government’s budget process. With UK, Scottish and local governments all facing financial pressures and health and social care already over-stretched, it’s more important than ever that vital services and support are protected from damaging cuts. 

Read more about the Scottish government’s budget process.

Our response to the consultations

We’re asking decision-makers to make a number of commitments:

  • Deliver on a long-standing commitment to invest 10% of NHS frontline spending on mental health. In-year cuts of mental health funding, a failure to keep up with inflation and a lack of transparency around health board budgets means that this target has repeatedly been missed.
  • Recognise the un-met mental health needs of people with Parkinson’s and invest in specialist services and create a clearer pathway for people with Parkinson’s to access mental health support. Our 2022 Parkinson’s Audit found that 1 in 3 people with Parkinson’s were unable to access mental health support.
  • Address the shortage of neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and occupational therapists who have the expertise needed to support people living with complex and progressive conditions like Parkinson’s.
  • Protect Adult Disability Payment in Scotland, so people with Parkinson’s can access vital financial support, helping them to live well and meet additional costs. We estimate that when someone has Parkinson’s their household faces additional costs of over £18,000 a year, including lost income, making social security a lifeline for many.
  • Take steps to mitigate the impact of UK government welfare reform on people in Scotland. While some social security benefits like Adult Disability Payment are devolved, meaning they are managed by the Scottish government, decisions made by the UK government can affect how much funding the Scottish government receives via the block grant. Any reduction in this grant will increase the pressure on the Scottish government to find budget savings. 

We’ll continue to campaign for the government to protect and invest in vital mental health services and lifeline financial support.