Dear Prime Minister Blair

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="2da785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>kevin-french.com</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="kevinfrench.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="kevinfrench.com"><U><B><IMG SRC="2c00e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>   </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>     </B><A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Any questions welcomed by Kevin!"><U><B><IMG SRC="2c10e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contacting Kevin French"><U><B><IMG SRC="2c20e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#0099FF" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <IMG SRC="15da77d0.jpg" border=0 width="167" height="125" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Dear Prime Minister Blair </I></div> <div> Presently I receive 48k from the state, at least 34k of this has to be spent on my care. Although I have the potential to earn 100K + a year, the nature of my talents and disability means it is not commercially worth businesses employing me on a full time basis but my talents are suited to short term high paying contracts. For example, six hours of being a guest on Sky Sports would at least net me £500.00!</div> <bR> <div> I received 24k from the Independent Living Fund, (ILF) which allows me to employ helpers and so I am able to live independently. The ILF was set up by the last Government. Five years later, they found that demands for the ILF were much higher than had been predicted! So they stopped new applicants from applying for funds, froze the ILF budget but allowed existing ILF clients to continue receiving their funds, as long as their circumstances remained the same!</div> <bR> <div> Although the present government has greatly increased the ILF funds, which I am grateful for, there is a bar, which does not allow me to gain meaningful employment, which without it, would allow me to be financially independent!</div> <bR> <div> Currently, if I gain employment the ILF have to assess my income after a month and dependant on my wages, they have to reduce or stop my funds! I would not have a problem with this, if I could gain full time employment. My problem arises because I can only gain high paid irregular employment, which could net me £50k in 6 months. The ILF would have to halt my funds and once stopped, under current ILF rules, my ILF fund cannot be re-instated. </div> <bR> <div> After Consulting my local Council who would have to pay for my care requirements, if I could not cover them financially and or the ILF funds were withdrawn, they inform me they could not afford to subsidise half of my care requirements and so I would have to be placed in a home. </div> <bR> <div> This means I am trapped in a "Golden Cage" were I have enough funds to cater for my care needs but I cannot risk trying to better myself by working and becoming financially independent, In case I cannot maintain my employment. </div> <bR> <div> I would like the chance of earning a liveable income so that I could try and become financially independent. This kind of independence would allow me to achieve my ultimate goals in life of having a worthwhile life, a life enhancing career, a home and a family, and or a family life.</div> <bR> <div> I believe the New Deal for the Disabled is currently being assessed and so I hope to make this following proposal, which the Government may consider and hopefully act upon. I would like to be allowed to earn an income and maintain my ILF funding. Then in March, depending on my income for the previous year, I would repay back some or all of my care funds to the ILF. This would thereafter be a yearly event. </div> <bR> <div> This would allow me to assure my care needs are catered for and I would be free to pursue a career. Also it would mean that my care cost will not dramatically increase and the "state's" contributions to these costs, may even decrease!</div> <bR> <div> I would like to make one further observation, after speaking to an accountant, I am informed that if I earnt £48k a year, even though I would have to pay my carers out of my wages, I could not claim tax relief for this expense! This would mean to be totally financially independent I would have to earn at least £63k a year! Maybe as apart of the assessment of the New Deal for the Disabled, tax relief for severely disabled people who have to employ carers, could be examined!</div> <bR> <div> Finally, after gaining a lot of positive exposure from my European campaign for the Labour MEP nomination, I contacted many PR companies, they were very interested in having me as a client and felt I had the potential to earn a sizeable income. Until my care funds are guaranteed, I cannot pursue a media career!</div> <bR> <div> Yours Sincerely,</div> <bR> <div> Kevin French</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>