This is Carers' Week, and as a mum of three and parent-carer to my two sons who live with autism, I have many reasons to support an independent Scotland.
As a carer I am becoming more and more frustrated by the decisions made by Westminster which seem out of touch with me and my friends who are also carers.
I see the NHS south of the border being dismantled and I am glad that devolution has gone some way to protecting people in Scotland from such cuts, but there’s so much more could be done for carers, and other people in need of additional support, with full independence.
Benefit “reform” by Westminster is having a huge impact on many people's lives in Scotland especially those with additional support needs. Although the Tory-led government in Westminster claims that the most vulnerable will be protected, many people are being deemed fit to work by a harsh system and losing their rights to Disability Living Allowance and Incapacity Benefit.
This has a knock on effect as their carers then lose their entitlement to Carer's Allowance – yet they still have to provide the same level of care and support as before.
I am also concerned as a carer about the language used by the Westminster government to describe people with disabilities, especially the more hidden ones such as mental health conditions and autism, which has an impact on people's attitudes.
I want a Scotland where people are treated with respect, where everyone gets the support they need and where the voices of carers are listened to, a country where decisions affecting Scotland’s carers and the people they care for are made by the people of Scotland. That's why I will be voting “yes” for an Independent Scotland.
Sandra Webster and her family live in Paisley. She is an ambassador for the National Autistic Society Scotland.
