ASSISTANCE NEEDED FROM PEOPLE ASSISTED BY ILF IN SCOTLAND OR NORTHERN IRELAND. PLEASE READ ON FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
ADAPTED FROM Disability Rights UK Factsheet F698
The Independent Living Fund (ILF) was a, Government funded, discretionary scheme which helped people who had both day and night care needs and who were getting the high rate care component of Disability Living Allowance. Those helped under the scheme were able to receive a joint ILF/local authority funded care support package to help them live independently in the community rather than in residential care.
The UK-wide Independent Living Fund (ILF) has now been closed since 1 July 2015.
In England, local authorities are responsible for care provision rather than the ILF.
Meanwhile, disabled people in Scotland receive help from a new Scottish Independent Living Fund from ILF Scotland. Northern Ireland have also set up their own ILF administered by Scotland.
In Wales we are clouded in uncertainty with the temporary Welsh Independent Living Grant (WILG) which is due to run until April 2017 – depending on confirmation beyond March 2016.
I have teamed up with a friend of mine – Sheila Meadows OBE – to launch a campaign to try to protect independent living in Wales by ensuring that when WILG finally expires it is replaced by something similar to what has been established in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
We certainly don’t want the Welsh government to follow the lead of England by giving funds for Independent Living to local authorities. Councils are already under extreme financial pressures and the concern is that funds meant for the benefit of disabled people would be used in other areas such as education, transport or maintenance.
Therefore, I would like to ask disabled people, their families and carers in Scotland and Northern Ireland for their opinions and experiences of the new ILF packages they receive. How was the transition from the ILF to the new Scottish administered system? Did you need to be reassessed to qualify for the fund? Have you had a reduction in your hours of care/work? Have you experienced any glitches in the new system or is it as dependable as the former ILF? Do you now have long term security? Has there been an increase or decrease in your personal contribution to the fund?
The answers to questions such as these would be central to our fight to create a similar system and sense of security in Wales. Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated. You can email me via the form on the Contact page, or tweet me at @nathanleedavies
ANY INFORMATION SHARED WILL BE TREATED CONFIDENTIALLY.
Many thanks and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
FURTHER READING
http://www.independentlivingfund.scot/
http://www.independentlivingfund.scot/northern-ireland-independent-living-fund/
