The Independent Living Fund
[ch 4: page 58]The Independent Living Fund (ILF) provided funding for people with disabilities to live independently. The government closed it at the end of June 2015, transferring responsibility to local authorities in England and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
It also cut the funding available. The government transferred just £262 million to local authorities — less than the amount needed to fund the benefit — and the funding is not ring-fenced.
The Unite general union said that it had no confidence that councils, already suffering from swingeing funding cuts, will be able to provide the same standard of care and feared the move would create a postcode lottery.
Meanwhile, the Scottish government has set up a Scottish ILF.