Disability News Service reports growing fears that funding now provided for 19,000 Independent Living Fund recipients to help them be better able to be independent, to work, and to contribute to their community will be reduced to 'a safety net' after 2015-16.
Department of Work and Pensions papers handed to lawyers for the 5 judicial review claimants last week appear to justify concerns that former ILF funding will be substabtially cut.
Especially worrying is the posture of the "large disability charities" over ILF which is revealed. Scope, Mencap and the MS Society are specifically mentioned:
"The DWP documents also reveal officials’ surprise that none of the large disability charities had requested meetings with the minister when the government suggested ILF would be closed, while some had not even responded to last year’s consultation."
