Dec 102014
 

Please Help Us. Save Our Independent Living Fund

We, disabled people, family, friends, supporters and allies, are asking for your help. We are asking you to pledge to keep the Independent Living Fund open to existing applicants, pending a review of Independent Living for all disabled people.

As you may know, on the 8th of December at the High Court, a ruling was given against our challenge to the closure of the ILF [1], and we were not given leave to appeal.

The closure of the ILF effectively signals the end of the right to independent living for disabled people in the UK. Whilst never perfect the ILF represents a model of support that has enabled thousands of disabled people to enjoy meaningfully lives and to contribute to society as equal citizens. 

Since the closure of the Fund to new applicants in December 2010 we have seen disabled people left with their most basic needs unmet and unable to seek employment, to volunteer or go into education or simply even to leave the house.

But we have vowed to fight on against the ILF closure,  disabled people will not be pushed back into the margins of society, we will not go back into the institutions, our place is in the community alongside our family and friends and neighbours and we are fighting to stay.

We ask you to imagine what it will be like, for people who have been enabled  to live a full life, be with friends and family, go out, work, study and enjoy recreation, to have all that taken away, and find themselves trapped inside, all day, every day, with choices over what they do, when and how, removed.

To severely disabled people the Independent Living Fund represents the difference between having an existence, and having a life.

Please Ed, keep our Independent Living Fund open. Keep Our Lives Open. It means the world to us.

References

[1] https://dpac.uk.net/2014/12/disabled-people-vow-to-continue-the-fight-to-save-

to sign as an organisation or individual please go to 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ZpbvcgSdYeOciEj9NZtnHFaI-3gGzMvRKLX4RblGTs/edit

or email: mail@dpac.uk.net

deadline for all signatures is 12pm Tues 16th Jan

Background: The Government won a case in the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday 8th December, which made their decision to close the ILF – Independent Living Fund – lawful; and this closure will now go ahead on 30th June next year.
Unless, of course the families, friends, supporters and others stand in solidarity with ILF Users campaign to Save the ILF, and together apply the sort of political power which changes minds and policy. You can do that today by signing the Open Letter to Ed Miliband (full text below), asking him, that should he become Prime Minister in May’s General Election, to keep the Fund open while ordering an independent review into the benefits of a model such as the ILF.
We know that many disabled people will lose some or all of their support, isolating people in their homes – at best. For many more, being institutionalised in residential homes is once again a grim reality. To save on average just over £300 per person. Don’t let this happen. Stand in support with ILF Users in this action, and the many more on-going & to come

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  5 Responses to “#saveilf Open Letter to Ed Miliband, Rachel Reeves and Kate Green”

  1. Would an MP or a Councillor like a deduction if it were their child or them?

  2. this is immoral and downright cruel , i am expecting LABOUR TO COME FORWARD WITH A BETTER DECENT AND MORE NOT LESS SUPPORT, OR WHAT IS THE POINT OF LIFE , BY DOING THIS A JUDGE AND HIS/HER MATES IN TORYWORLD ARE SAYING JUST THAT,,, WE KNOW THE OUTCOME OF HITLER AND HIS CREW, WELL BE SURE , WHAT A TORY DESTROYS , GOOD PEOPLE WITH HEART AND JUSTICE WILL REBUILD , BETTER , FAIRER , FOR ALL ,,,,

  3. Absolutely pledge to fight to save ILF – it’s a real lifeline to so many people, and a real scandal that it’s under such threat.

  4. Come on, please get your act together…. Having been a Labour supperter all My life, mind you I ripped up my membership caed when you got rid of clause 4, If you do not do something about this great injustice, i can not see myself voting for you party at anytime in the future…

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