This disabled man has lost HALF his care after Tories axed the Independent Living Fund

A disabled man has sparked protests after revealing he's lost half his care thanks to the Tories' cruellest cut.

Gabriel Pepper, 44, was paid the Independent Living Fund for 16 years before the government scrapped it despite widespread protests.

Just like 18,000 other disabled people Gabriel, who has severe complications from a brain tumour, was promised he'd still be cared for by his local council.

But the government has given councils less money than they had before and made no commitment to giving it directly to ILF clients.

Now the details of Gabriel's package are clear - and he says the time he has with a carer has dropped from 72 hours a week to 38.

Video above by Kate Belgrave

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That means he has just an hour a week to go shopping, Gabriel says.

He is planning to take legal action over his plight, which prompted a noisy protest yesterday outside the offices of London's Waltham Forest Council.

A dozen campaigners including from Disabled People Against the Cuts brandished signs saying: "A 48% cut is not a transition!"

Gabriel told Mirror Online: "The new cut would reduce my life to a skeleton.

"Disabled people will not be shoved to the margins of society. Disabled people did not create the global financial crisis."

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Gabriel suffers from poor eyesight and problems with co-ordination and stamina after a tumour in his brain had to be frozen instead of removed.

He says he is unable to leave the house without support and has been told other tumours could develop.

"We are British people, and we are very angry, and we have Jeremy Corbyn now," he added.

"Austerity in UK is a lie. The UK is the fourth richest country in the world."

The £320m ILF helped 18,000 disabled people live in the community instead of care homes until it shut its doors on June 30.

Battle: The cut to Gabriel Pepper's care time has sparked a protest by disability activists

Thousands of people including Corrie stars signed a petition against the move, but they lost a High Court battle claiming the closure breached equality laws.

That prompted a last-ditch protest during Prime Minister's Questions, sending Westminster into police lockdown when activists tried to storm the Commons chamber.

Just £260m of the budget was transferred to the budgets of local councils, and there was no law saying they had to set it aside for ILF recipients.

That meant more than 30 councils folded the cash into their general care budgets as they struggled to meet Tory cuts.

Gabriel's local authority, Waltham Forest, was one of those councils.

A spokesman said: "A robust review was undertaken into Mr Pepper's care and support needs by an experienced social worker.

"His new care package, which equates to 38 hours per week and meets all of his assessed care and support needs, covers daily living activities, shopping and social activities.

"It is designed to ensure that all opportunities for independent living are maximised and will be introduced in phases to ease the transition from previous care arrangements.

"Mr Pepper continues to receive statutory benefit entitlements, including access to a higher rate Disability Living Allowance.

"We have offered Mr Pepper further support, including occupational therapy, however he has declined this.

"Despite continuing to be hit by Government cuts, Waltham Forest is committed to ensuring every vulnerable resident has access to the support services they need."

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