Housing
Homes Fit for Children Campaign
Homes Fit For Children (HFC) was a housing campaign that resulted in the means test
on parents of disabled children being abolished in NI, Wales and then England
by the end of 2005. The Family Information Group was very much involved in
this campaign in all three countries.
The emphasis was on The Disabled Facilities Grant for private housing adaptations,
and the means test which was once part of that. However interest has been
shown in this campaign by many outside the housing sector, as inquiries have
been made not only in the achievement itself but how it was done. The story
is told in our publications and further details are in the Homes Fit For
Children section.
Click here to download word document of HFC submission to the English Housing Review Group (January 2005) .
Three books published were From Issues to Politics, Making the Impossible Possible and The Impossible Took a Little Longer. Also four leaflets were produced (see below).
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View insideView outsideDownload Acrobat file |
View insideView outsideDownload Acrobat file |
View insideView outsideDownload Acrobat file |
HFC Key Dates
1997 |
Homes Fit For Children founded in England |
1998 |
Parental Involvement through support from JRF (Joseph Rowntree Foundation) |
1999 |
Steering Group formed, Wales and N.I. involved with England - "Means Test the Child" main focus |
2000 |
MPs begin to be involved
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2001 |
Presentation to O.T. Managers Forum (Belfast)
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2002 |
June - "From Issue to Politics" Conference Derry with Frances Heywood and Parent. Book published. |
2003 |
"Where do the children live?" Conference (Derry) with Joseph Rowntree Foundation |
2004 |
16 February - NI means test abolished |
2004 |
May - Huddersfield, Cardiff & London project |
2005 |
27 April -announcement of Welsh abolition |
2005 |
Summer - English Review Group winds up |
2005 |
Summer - Draft Report from Bristol University |
2005 |
30 September - abolition in Wales |
2005 |
27 October - House of Lords announces abolition in England |
2005 |
December - Abolition in England |
