This report by the European Human Rights Commission into Disability Rights in Wales really is essential reading. The section on independent living is especially relevant to the #SaveWILG campaign.
It reads as follows:
Independent living funding
The UK Government’s Independent Living Fund (ILF) closed across the UK in June 2015. In order to continue support for individuals, a new grant scheme (the Welsh Independent Living Grant) was set up by the Welsh Government to run until March 2017. As a result of the funding support transferred from the UK Government, funding in Wales for this interim arrangement was restricted to supporting existing ILF recipients.
In November 2016, the Welsh Government announced that by 31 March 2019 all former ILF recipients will have their care and support needs met through normal social care provision, having received an outcome and care and support assessment under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. This arrangement will aim to ensure that all disabled people with higher care and support needs are supported equally.
The decision to take forward this approach followed taking representation and advice from a stakeholder advisory group. However, various disability organisations in Wales had advocated setting up a national independent living scheme in Wales as aligning with a citizen directed system of support rather than the approach now adopted by the Welsh Government.
We recommend that the CRPD Committee asks:
Can the Welsh Government explain:
How it reached a decision to move all ILF recipients to normal social care
provision from 31 March 2019, rather than setting up a national independent living
scheme?
How it will ensure protection for article 19 rights of those formerly eligible for the Independent Living Fund after 31 March 2019?
The full damning report can be read by clicking the link below:
