Photo: Mark Hunter/Rex
It has been planned since 2012 but today’s closure of the Independent Living Fund (ILF), which helped severely disabled people top-up their social care support, is still a source of ongoing uncertainty for both disabled people and local authorities.
The fund, which was administered from central government, is being transferred to local authority budgets in England based on what recipients in their area were allocated, minus a 5% “top slice”.
‘Problems should have been envisaged’
The scheme has been closed to new applicants since 2010. While many in the sector agree with the move to a single system there are widespread fears the current climate of cuts and lack of direction from central government will create an unfair postcode lottery.
