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We have posted about Anne’s fight for the Independent Living Fund and her case at court. Today it s with a heavy heart when we learnt that the high court had ruled against the claimants – one of them is Anne.

Here is Patrick Butler’s article:

Five disabled people will ask the court of appeal to overturn a high court ruling that on Wednesday upheld the government’s decision to abolish a scheme that helps them live independently.

Their lawyers had asked Mr Justice Blake, sitting in London, to declare unlawful the consultation process that led to the proposed axing of the £320m independent living fund (ILF).

Dismissing the application, the judge said many issues relating to the future funding of ILF users remained outstanding, but the consultation process had been lawful.

Lawyers acting for the five said Wednesday’s ruling at the Royal Courts of Justice was flawed and did not reflect the evidence before the court.

The solicitors Scott-Moncrieff and Associates said: “All five are adamant that the process was flawed and that the impact of closure will be devastating for very large numbers of severely disabled people. They see it as vital that the decision is quashed and the matter reconsidered on a fair and lawful basis.”

The other applicants were Stuart Bracking, Paris L’amour, Anne Pridmore and John Aspinall, who brought his case with his mother, Evonne Taylforth, acting as his litigation friend.

Lawyers acting for the applicants had argued at a hearing in March that the government had not given clear reasons for closing the fund, that it failed to set out details of how much funding would be devolved and whether it would be ringfenced,  and that the impact of the change on people in receipt of ILF support had not been properly assessed.

For the full article read it at the Guardian.