Independent Living Fund closure challenge fails

Two severely disabled men who use the Independent Living Fund (ILF) have lost their bid to overturn the government’s decision to close the ILF in June 2015, after the High Court ruled former minister for disabled people Mike Penning had not breached equality laws. The claimants argued Penning did not have sufficient information to assess the practical effect of closure on ILF users. However, Mrs Justice Andrews ruled that Penning was made fully aware of “the inevitable and considerable adverse effect” of closure, in R (oao Aspinall) v Work and Pensions Secretary [2014] EWHC 4134 (Admin).