Parents of children with a learning disability are being called upon to ensure that they have an up-to-date will detailing plans for their child’s future. November is Write a Will Month and learning disability charity Mencap is urging parents to start thinking about the need to write their will.
Many adults with learning difficulties are cared for by a family member and it is estimated that a third of adults with a learning disability are cared for by a relative over the age of 70. With an ageing network of carers and continuing cuts to social care provision, there are fears about who will care for many of these people in the future and how this care will be funded.
“We have many parents who have a child with a learning disability come to us worried about who will look after their child when they are no longer around”, says Mencap’s wills and trusts solicitor Aarti Gupta. “They are often very unsure of where to even start when making plans for their child’s future.”
The charity has experienced a 26 per cent rise in the number of parents calling their wills and trusts advice team over the past five years.
For more information, visit:
www.mencap.org.uk/willsandtrusts
