Conservatives Throw Independent Living Fund Into Chaos

24th June 2015

Disability Rights UK: The Independent Living Fund (ILF) is a discretionary scheme financed by the government that aims at supporting disabled people with substantial high needs to live independently in the community rather than in residential care. ILF offers financial support to fund packages of care for those with severe disabilities.

It is only a few days until the closure of the Independent Living Fund which supports more than 21,000 people with severe disabilities. Protests have taken place at the House of Commons today during Prime Minister David Cameron’s Questions to fight for the rights of those that struggle to get by on a day to day basis.

Richard Hawkes, chief executive of disability charity Scope, said the decision to phase out the fund was “bemusing. The fund is comparatively very small and is designed to support disabled people to live at home rather than in care homes.”

The phased closure was described as “foolhardy and lacking in humanity” Labour peer Lord Morris of Manchester, who was the first minister for the disabled, describe the closure as ‘foolhardy and lacking humanity. He said: “This will not save money. If you make it harder for disabled people to live at home, it will cost more because more of them will have to be in hospitals and other places of full-time care.

“It will mean far more of them having to be in institutional care at far greater cost to the taxpayer.”

Scope continues to offer free advice for those concerned. Please visit www.scope.org.uk