Social Security Benefits: Disability
30th March 2011
Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has commissioned independent assessments to assess the effect of his proposed reforms to the independent living fund on (a) people with autism, (b) people with sight impairment, (c) people with Downs' syndrome and (d) carers; and if he will make a statement.
Maria Miller: The Government's position on the Independent Living Fund was set out in the written ministerial statement issued on 13 December 2010, Official Report, column 85WS.
This made clear that the Independent Living Fund will remain closed permanently to new applications and we will safeguard the position of existing recipients by carrying out a formal consultation on future support for existing ILF users while continuing to administer their awards throughout this Parliament. This consultation will take place following the publication of the report by the Commission on the Funding of Care and Support.
It is important to remember that local authorities have primary responsibility for the care of disabled people. Payments from the Independent Living Fund are discretionary awards, not statutory benefits, and do not take precedence over the responsibility of the local authority to make an assessment of a user's needs.
