Nearly all disabled people who receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) are concerned by changes announced by the coalition government to the way this vital care and support benefit will work in the future.

Responding to a survey by the user-led organisation ECDP, 93% of people said they were very or quite concerned about the changes being introduced to DLA by the coalition government’s Budget.
 
Over half (57%) of respondents thought that their DLA may be taken away and 1 in 3 respondents thought it unlikely they would be able to work as a result of the changes.

Nearly 6 in 10 (58%) respondents said the changes were likely to have “a big impact” on their everyday lives, including not getting the support they need (67%) and a negative impact on their family (55%).

You can read the full report and results here: ECDP DLA / ILF Survey Results

Responding to the findings, Rich Watts, Director of Policy & Development at ECDP said: “The results of this survey come as no shock to anyone who knows what a hugely beneficial impact Disability Living Allowance has on the everyday lives of disabled people.

“Far from being an out-of-work benefit that enables people to scrounge off the state as the coalition government would have us believe, DLA is a well-targeted, invaluable benefit that goes a long way to ensuring disabled people have the same choice and control over their lives as non-disabled people.
 
“By targeting what DLA costs the Treasury, the coalition government has missed the point about what removing DLA will cost individuals: their care, their independence, their work.”

Changes to the Independent Living Fund

ECDP also surveyed people on the recent changes to the Independent Living Fund, which is now closed to new service users until at least April 2011.

The survey has shown that, of those people who receive ILF, over 6 in 10 are very concerned by the changes, particularly around not getting the level of care and support they need (64%) or not being able to live independently (62%). Worries about family (52% of respondents) and work (43%) are also keenly felt.

A full copy of the press release for this survey is here: ECDP DLA / ILF survey press release