Living fund increase too small for some

A rise in Independent Living Fund payments for disabled people announced last week will be too little to pay highly skilled personal assistants, campaigners say.

From 1 April, the maximum weekly payment from the Independent Living (1993) Fund will increase from £420 to £455, and the Independent Living (Extension) Fund from £715 to £785.

But the British Council Of Disabled People argued that people with round-the-clock personal assistants would only be able to pay them just above the minimum wage despite the changes.

The funds make grants to people with high support needs who want to live independently.