Disabled face a threat to their independence

This is the First Person column in today's Leicester Mercury:

Disabled face a threat to their independence 

Shelley Bark has grave concerns over proposed changes to a vital source of financial help 

The Independent Living Fund (ILF) was created in 1990 for disabled people aged 16 to 64 who needed help with their care. This allowed them to employ someone to help them with their everyday personal care needs. The ILF is a Government-funded organisation which has helped 46,000 severely disabled people in its lifetime. Currently ILF helps 20,000 severely disabled people in the UK and employs 160 staff and 90 self-employed assessors. 

In 2009 the Government did a consultation with ILF and its users to see if the users were happy with the service and how they could improve it. Now all of a sudden this Government wants to end this wonderful scheme, firstly by stopping new disabled people joining it; then ending the whole ILF scheme in 2015. Thereafter the money will transfer to local authorities (what we don't know is if it will be ring-fenced). This will mean the 20,000 disabled people will have to be accessed again by a local authority social worker for direct payments which means extra costs and we, the users, might not receive the right levels of funding for the right level of care, especially those severely disabled people on high care packages allowing them full independence to live a productive life – a human right. 

I have severe cerebral palsy which means the only things I can do is drive my electric wheelchair and work my computer my with eyes which allows me to write this article. I am an intelligent lady and I can run my own care package, which entails hiring and firing my own carers, doing my tax and National Insurance, carers' contracts and rotas and making sure that I have got the right type of care for my needs. At the moment I have got four members of staff who pay tax and National Insurance and also I pay the employer's National Insurance which means I'm putting money back into the Government. Having carers in my own home means I can lead a normal life. 

Direct payments can be used for care only, but ILF gives us the freedom to pursue different avenues in life, and can be used for additional expenses that go with having 24-hour care and having carers in the home, for example, electricity, tea- and coffee-making facilities, wear and tear. 

I have always led a full life and have represented my country in sport, having been both a world and European champion. I have also been very active in championing causes for the disabled, none of which would have been possible without ILF. Without this level of care, which I don't think local authorities can provide for us, how many vulnerable people will end up in care homes having their quality of life and dignity taken away from them? And where are the people who would be applying for this help now going to go?

Shelley Bark lives in Syston and wants to make people aware and help other disabled people keep their independence and their dignity.