Perhaps it's time for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (or someone) to repeat
the 2004 research on disabled people's costs of living?
http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/disabled-peoples-costs-living
-----Original Message-----
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Larry Arnold
Sent: 17 September 2012 19:29
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Independent Living Fund consultation
The Independant Living Fund was originally introduced as a political sop
under the Fowler reforms. Thousands of people were losing the needs
determined additional payments under the old supplementary benefit system,
when it was being streamlined into more of a one size fits all, with
specific premiums paid without regard to actual expenditure, which at least
the additional payments were predicated upon. With the creation of the
Independant Living Fund Thatcher's goons (Not objective speech I know) were
able to protest to the public that they were not as heartless as they seemed
having provided a suitable and "more targeted" alternative. Of course "more
targeted" usually means in the practical world fewer recipients and I wonder
if there is the research to demonstrate just how much potentially was cut
and lost to needy families during the Thatcher years.
The context is still there as the current Government is delivering the final
coup de grace. We must not forget that Universal Credit is more than just a
simplification of the system, it is an outright cut for all disabled people
who currently receive the severe disability premium on income support. What
is to replace that?
What has been lost in the whole public debate (if you can call the Daily
Mail hate fest that at all) is any recognition that disability costs money
to the disabled person and there used to be a lot of research from groups
like the Child Poverty Action Group and Disability Income Group around this.
What has also been lost is the fact that out of work benefits are nothing to
do with capacity for work at all, they are essentially a form of social
insurance and compensation for the privations of not having work when there
is none due to either the economy or ill health.
It's about time the debate was turned round to examine the real lives of
disabled people, the real nature of the economy, and taken away from this
highly moralistic and dubious strain of argument about fairness, because in
the final analysis it is not fair.
Anyway I would suggest these are things to keep in mind when commenting on
the consultation.
Larry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List [mailto:DISABILITY-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jenny Morris
> Sent: 17 September 2012 10:52
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Independent Living Fund consultation
>
> The government's consultation on the Independent Living Fund closes on
10th October
> http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2012/future-of-ilf.shtml
>
> Here's a blog I did earlier this year about why we need to defend the ILF
>
http://jennymorrisnet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/defending-independent-living-fu
nd.html
>
> We are fighting a losing battle but it's still important that as many
people as possible
> respond to the consultation.
>
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