The Labour Welsh Government have confirmed there will be no change to their policy to scrap the Welsh Independent Living Grant despite the Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, appearing to support the campaign to maintain the grant.
The Welsh Government are proposing to transfer the Welsh Independent Living Grant to local authorities, which will see personal care packages for an estimated 1300 disabled people in Wales greatly reduced.
Mr Isherwood has described the move as “a betrayal of the right of disabled people to live independently and make their own decisions”.
Calling for a Welsh Government Statement on the Welsh Independent Living Grant during yesterday’s Business Statement, Mr Isherwood referred to the Labour support, including that of Jeremy Corbyn, for the campaign to save the grant at the recent Labour Party Conference in Llandudno (see photo below of Jeremy Corbyn with Nathan Lee Davies from Wrexham, who is leading the campaign to maintain the grant).
Speaking in the Chamber, Mr Isherwood said:
“As, amongst other things, the Chair of the Cross Party Group on Disability, I've been articulating concerns in this Chamber and in correspondence with the Welsh Government since the decision was taken by the Welsh Government to move the Welsh Independent Living Grant into Local Authority funding, unlike the situations in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where a partnership with the third sector was established. The Northern Irish commissioned under the Scottish model to ensure that the independence and control of the service user was protected.
“I last raised this early in March with the First Minister, describing the proposal as a betrayal of the right of disabled people to live independently and make their own decisions, but, once again - despite my calling on the First Minister to recognise that independence means giving people choice and control, and not having to agree how they spend their money with well-meaning experts in County Hall when they're the real experts in their own lives - the First Minister rejected this.
“However, I've now been copied on a report from a charity of which I'm Patron, stating that at the recent Welsh Labour Party conference in Llandudno, on a motion put down by the Clwyd South Labour Party, delegates voted to support the continuation of the Welsh Independent Living Grant, despite the policy of the Welsh Government, and it's been reported that this will now be maintained at least until the Assembly elections in 2021 - welcomed by the campaigners led by Nathan Lee Davies from Wrexham, but who were still keen to stress there's some way to go in securing the grant in the long term.
“Therefore, given that this isn't just a decision, for any Party Conference - this is a decision for this place - I think the Assembly must have a Statement to bring us up to speed on what is a very important matter for a large number of people, particularly the campaigners who've been fighting so hard to achieve what appears to be some progress in this respect.”
Leader of the House, Julie James AM, replied: “We continue to maintain that a static grant can't possibly meet all of the demands of every disabled person in Wales, who have complex and varied needs. No change has been made in Government policy, and therefore I can't see that there's any requirement for a Statement since nothing has changed in the Government's policy.”
Mr Isherwood added: “Jeremy Corbyn is apparently supporting the campaign to maintain the grant, yet the Welsh Government have confirmed that their plans to scrap it have not changed. Various words come to mind, but I better not repeat them in print!”