§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on what new rights the citizens charter will give to disabled people.
§ Mr. ScottThe citizens charter calls on public sector organisations to take account of the needs of all their customers—including, where appropriate, those with disabilities—when they are setting service standards.
§ Mr. BrazierTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on future arrangements for independent living for the most severely disabled people.
§ Mr. ScottWe have decided to legislate in the current financial year to establish a new fund from 1 April 1993, to help people of working age with the most severe disabilities to live independently in the community. The legislation will also provide for a successor fund for existing cases to meet the commitment I made in May 1991 to continue cash payments to people getting help from the independent living fund—ILF—when it ceases to operate at the end of March 1993.
The ILF has proved very successful in helping severely disabled people to live independently in the community. With the introduction of the new community care
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Table 1: The increase in the average income of pensioner units 1970–88 (i) 1970–79 (1988 prices) Gross income Occupational pension income Net income Average amount Real increase since 1970 Average amount Real increase since 1970: Average amount Real increase since 1970 Amount As a percentage of increase in gross income Year £ per week £ per week £ per week £ per week Per cent. £ per week £ per week 1970 76.20 0.00 12.00 0.00 0 67.50 0.00 1971 70.40 -5.80 9.60 -2.40 41 63.90 -3.60 1972 76.80 0.60 11.70 -0.30 -57 69.60 2.10 1973 79.90 3.70 12.90 0.90 25 72.90 5.40 1974 85.10 9.00 12.40 0.40 4 77.40 9.90 1975 85.50 9.30 11.80 -0.20 -2 77.00 9.50 1976 84.90 8.70 12.30 0.30 3 76.70 9.20 arrangements from April, responsibility for arranging care for disabled peole will rest with local authorities. However, the Government recognise that there will be a small group of the most severely disabled people for whom the costs of care in their own home will exceed the cost of a place in residential care or a nursing home.
The new fund for this group will work in partnership with local authorities, reflecting their primary role following the April 1993 community care changes. The local authority will be expected to make a contribution by way of services equivalent to what it would have spent on residential or nursing care and the fund will be able to provide a cash payment in addition. Additional resources will be made available to local authorities in respect of these changes and there will be a further announcement about resources shortly.
The trustees of the ILF have today announced that they intend to close to new applications from midnight on 25 November, in order to ensure an orderly transfer of cases to the successor body. I understand that all applications received before midnight on 25 November will be dealt with in the usual way. Disabled people who meet the new criteria and who would have looked to the fund for help over the next few months will be able to apply to the new body from next April. The vast majority of potential ILF beneficiaries are already receiving help from their local authority.
Over the four years of its existence, the ILF has done a splendid job and I pay the warmest possible tribute to the trustees, the director and the staff who are involved with it.