The crisis of local authority funding and its implications for independent living for disabled people in the United Kingdom |
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Authors: | Steve Graby Roxanne Homayoun |
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Institution: | 1. Centre for Disability Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK,;2. Independent scholar, Northampton, UK |
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Abstract: | The recent financial collapse of Northamptonshire County Council sets a worrying precedent for local authorities in the United Kingdom, and in particular for disabled people who depend on services provided by local authorities, such as Direct Payments for personal assistance, for their daily living needs. While the Northamptonshire situation has been blamed on financial incompetence, we argue that it has deeper roots in austerity policies implemented by Conservative-led governments since 2010 on a national level. We also argue that the placement of responsibility for funding personal assistance services in the hands of local authorities creates a deeply unjust ‘postcode lottery’ for disabled people, and we call for a national right to all services necessary for independent living, regardless of cost. |
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Keywords: | austerity direct payments Disabled People’s Movement local authorities local government funding personal assistance adult social care |
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