Frank’s Law campaigner Amanda Kopel is “inspiring” in her relentless energy to change the Scottish care system, the Prime Minister has said.
Theresa May hailed the Kirriemuir woman’s bid to close the loophole that sees under-65s suffering from debilitating conditions forced to pay hundreds of pounds a week for care when older people are exempt.
Mrs Kopel started her fight after her husband, Dundee United legend Frank Kopel, was diagnosed with dementia aged 59.
The family paid out around £300 a week towards the end of the former Manchester United left-back’s life. He was eligible for just 19 days of free personal care before his death in April 2014.
There is a majority support for introducing Frank’s Law at Holyrood, with every party except the SNP backing the bid, and Mrs Kopel will address Scottish Conservative delegates tomorrow at the party’s conference.
Mrs May said: “Amanda has been campaigning really hard on this issue. She obviously cares about it deeply because of the personal experience she went through, what she saw in relation to her late husband’s experience.
“I think it’s really important and I know Ruth cares passionately about this campaign as well. Of course the Scottish Government could respond to this, they could deliver on this.
“The UK Government isn’t stopping this. The Scottish Government could do this and if you look at what happens in England, judgments are made about support for an individual on their need not their age.
“From everything I hear about Amanda and the campaign she has been running I think she has already been inspiring others to see this issue as something that they want to see the SNP government addressing.”
Meanwhile, national healthcare charity Sue Ryder has backed Frank’s Law, adding its voice to growing calls to stop charging under-65s for personal care.
The organisation will take part in a fringe meeting at the Scottish Tory conference today and believes free personal care should be extended to everyone regardless of age.
Lorraine Linton, head of community services for Sue Ryder in Scotland, said: “It is not fair to discriminate against people under 65 in this way.”
The Scottish Government is currently carrying out a feasibility study on extending free personal care.
