Equality Impact Assessment – Reopening Of The Independent Living Fund (ILF)

Stage 1: Framing

Results of framing exercise

Since the UK Fund closed in 2010, there have been extensive calls for it to reopen from Disabled Peoples’ Organisations (DPOs) and other stakeholders.

DPOs highlighted that the closure of the Fund in 2010 has created an inequity between the almost 2,000 disabled people who remained within the scheme, and those with equivalent levels of need who remain unsupported through on-going exclusion from the Fund.

In August 2023, the Scottish Human Rights Commission, together with a coalition of Scottish Disabled People’s organisations, warned of worsening poverty rates for disabled people in Scotland and how the cost of living is having a consequence for disabled people’s ability to live independently at home in two parallel reports to the UN. In particular the report states that ‘the closure of the ILF to new applicants from 2010 has severely limited disabled people’s choice, control and independence.’

A report produced by the Centre for Inclusive Living Northern Ireland and Gauge NI concluded that for every £1 of ILF investment, £10.89 of social value was generated. The NI Administration’s annual investment of £6.85 million generated a total present value of £74.6 million. It is estimated that 20% of this impact (£15 million) is generated in Health and Social Care Trusts, including a £10 million reduction in the costs of people going into residential care and in crisis interventions. Supporting independent living is therefore highly cost effective and can reduce pressures within the wider health and social care system.

Research has also shown that ILF funding contributes to fewer admissions into residential care, reductions in crisis interventions and delivers enhanced capacity within Health and Social Care.

In February 2021, the Independent Review on Adult Social Care report was published. One of the recommendations was to reopen the ILF to new applications with a scheme similar to the 2015 Fund.

We also have data from ILF Scotland on the current population receiving ILF from the existing scheme, which is currently closed to new applicants.

Extent/Level of EQIA required

This is an initial assessment of the policy impacts. There will be on-going monitoring of the policy following its launch in Spring which will include close engagement with ILF Scotland, DPOs and other key stakeholders. Part of that monitoring will be ensuring that the equality duty of eliminating discrimination, promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations is met.