The Green Party’s Work and Pensions Spokesperson Jonathan Bartley has condemned the government’s decision to scrap the Independent Living Fund, which takes effect today.
The ILF was designed to support disabled people with substantially high needs to live independently in the community rather than in residential care.
Bartley said:
“The closure of the Independent Living Fund is one of this government’s most pernicious cuts. It will impact upon 18,000 people with particularly high needs. This cut will rob many of the support they need to contribute to their communities and to fulfil their own potential.
“There is clear evidence from reviews and reassessments at local authority level that point to the terrible effect closure will have. The amount of funding being transferred to local councils is less than what is currently paid out to disabled people through the ILF, and some disabled people will be excluded from support because of different eligibility criteria. With local authorities already struggling in the face of austerity, when new cuts kick in even more support will be removed.
“In a humane society disabled people should be helped to participate and make a contribution. Instead this government places the burden of its ideological spending cuts on their shoulders.”