The impact of austerity on the quality of life of people with Intellectual and developmental disabilities: lessons from the UK.

Introduction: We investigated what is happening to people who, despiteUK policy reforms (Care Act 2014), have lost or had their care changed (including community based services, personal budgets, state funded and/or provided care and care from the independent sector) due to UK austerity measures.

Methods: We interviewed 150 people with IDD about their use of services (using the Client Service Receipt Inventory), their well-being and quality of life using the Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Social Network and Employment Scale, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and theGlasgow Anxiety Scale. We also qualitatively explored what individual’s daily lives are like with reduced care, compared to when they received more care, as well as the lives of their carers.

Results: We report on how losing care affects the quality of life of people with IDD and their carers in a variety of ways including practically, socially and emotionally.Implications: UK austerity measures appear to be undermining the ambitions of the Care Act and negatively affecting the lives of people with IDD. Concerns for future care services and recommendations to policymakers are highlighted. The views expressed are those of the author(s) rather than the funders(National Institute for Health Research School for Social Care Research).