Glasgow SNP MSP Bill Kidd has expressed grave concern over changes to the funding threshold for the UK Labour Government's Independent Living Fund which will effectively threaten to deny thousands of disabled people the opportunity to live independent lives.

The Independent Living Fund is sponsored by the UK Department of Work and Pensions and currently, to qualify for assistance from the fund, a disabled person must be receiving £200 per week in personal care support from their local authority. This threshold will now rise to £320. A massive jump of 60%, when inflation is assessed at only 2%.
 

Commenting Bill Kidd said: "Once again the fantasy of Wendy's scaremongering has crashed on the rocks of the reality of Labour Government - the reality that it is an organisation sponsored by the London Labour Government which is actually removing funding from one of Scotland's vulnerable groups.

"I am appalled at this massive rise in the financial threshold before a disabled person can apply to the Independent Living Fund for assistance in remaining in the community.

"A rise in the threshold from £200 per week to £320 per week, in one financial year, is totally unreasonable.

"Severely disabled people should be afforded every possible opportunity to live as equally as anyone else in the community. It is the purpose of the ILF to assist in doing this.

"Unfortunately the UK Government is happy to pay lip service to helping disabled people, but presides over the raising of the hurdle by £120 extra per week. In practice this means that a great many people who might have qualified will be denied help."