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campaign to save independent living fund
a campaign has been launched to save the independent living fund which is now closed for new applicants and due to close entirely by 2015 -
for more information see -
there is also a directgov epetition at -
Dods Monitoring, the Parliamentary monitoring group, has tweeted “The government will set out its response to the consultation on the planned closure of the independent living fund http://bit.ly/WmaD0J”
The Written Ministerial Statement from Esther McVey (Minister for Disabled People) says (my emphasis):
It is clear from the responses to the consultation that the prospect of the ILF closing is causing current users anxiety, and that the fund has played a really important role in the lives of users and their families. But we also heard that the ILF has had its problems, that the current arrangement is unsustainable and that local authorities face challenges in supporting disabled people in a consistent and equitable manner given the complex way in which ILF funding interacts with local authority funding for each user.
We have considered all views carefully and, while I understand user concerns, I do not think the current situation is sustainable. Our commitment to maintaining current awards until 2015 remains, but on 31 March 2015 the ILF will close, and from that point local authorities in England, in line with their statutory responsibilities, will have sole responsibility for meeting the eligible care and support needs of current ILF users. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will determine how ILF users in each of those parts of the UK are supported within their distinct care and support systems. Funding will be devolved to each local authority and to the devolved administrations on the basis of the pattern of expenditure in 2014/15.
Link to tweet Dods Monitoring
government consultation response now published -
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2012/future-of-ilf.shtml