Agenda item

Independent Living Fund

It was moved by Councillor Brian Webster, seconded by Councillor Aodan Marken, that this Council:-

(a)       notes with regret the Government’s decision to abolish the centrally administered Independent Living Fund (ILF), effective from 1st July 2015, and that responsibility for any continuance of payments to former ILF recipients now lies with local authorities;

(b)       recalls that the ILF had been established in 1988 to help people with disabilities to live independently rather than relying on residential care;

(c)        notes with dismay reports from the disability charity Scope that “the closure of the Independent Living Fund … [is] likely to lead to fewer disabled people being able to live independently.”, and from Disabled People Against Cuts that the impact of the closure of the ILF would be “devastating” to disabled people;

(d)       believes that, wherever appropriate, individuals with disabilities who wish to live independently should be given the support they need to do so;

(e)       therefore believes that, locally, ILF money should be ring-fenced to those individuals who are both eligible for adult social care and who need support to live independently;

(f)        further, calls upon the Government to:

(i)         reinstate the Independent Living Fund as a centrally administered and paid fund for the support of disabled individuals who wish to live independently; and

(ii)        failing clause (f)(i) above, to maintain the central government payment to local authorities for the administration of localised ILF payments at at least the 2015 level for at least the duration of the current Parliament; and

(g)       instructs that a copy of this motion be sent to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Mary Lea, seconded by Councillor Julie Dore, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.         the deletion of paragraph (e) and the addition of a new paragraph (e) as follows:-

(e)       regrets that the funding passed down from Government is not recurrent and consequently the Council is projecting funding pressures from 2016/17 as a result of the Government’s decision to abolish the Independent Living Fund;

2.         the addition of a new paragraph (f) as follows, and the re-lettering of original paragraphs (f) and (g) as new paragraphs (g) and (h):-

(f)        further notes that social care staff are visiting all individuals who previously received ILF funding and are reviewing their overall needs so that they continue to get the care and support that is right for them and for which they are eligible;

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

It was then moved by Councillor Roger Davison, seconded by Councillor Richard Shaw, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraph (f) and the addition of a new paragraph (f) as follows:-

(f)          further, calls upon the Government to maintain the central government payment to local authorities for the administration of localised ILF payments at at least the 2015 level for at least the duration of the current Parliament; and

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following for and carried:-