Independent Living Fund
Independent Living Fund (ILF) Scotland was established in July 2015 following the UK Government’s closure of the UK ILF, to safeguard the rights of disabled people in Scotland to live independent lives.
The public body ILF Scotland administers the fund on behalf of the Scottish Government. The fund enables disabled people with high support needs to choose to live in their communities.
In September of last year, the First Minister, Humza Yousaf MSP, announced in his first Programme for Government that the Independent Living Fund Scotland (ILF) would re-open to new applications in 2024 to 2025, with an initial year one investment of up to £9 million.
Following this announcement, a Co-Production Working Group was established to make policy recommendations on how the re-opened fund should operate. After holding a series of public engagement events across the country, the working group set out its policy recommendations for the re-opened fund to Ministers.
The Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport has now considered, and accepted, these recommendations in full. The ILF will reopen in April. The Minister’s letter to the Co-Production Working Group, accepting the recommendations is available now.
The ILF enables disabled people with high support needs to choose to live in their communities. On transfer from the UK the ILF, as an already closed scheme from 2010, was supporting just over 3000 disabled people in Scotland with high support needs (as at July 2015). Having been closed since that year, and largely by the death of existing recipients over time, the ILF as at March 2024 supported just under 2000 of that inherited population through a lifetime award that is on average near £500 a week. With this funding people can secure the independent living arrangements of their choice in ways that are partnered with Self-Directed Support.
ILF Transition Fund
The ILF Transition Fund began in December 2017. It is and is focused on supporting young disabled people, aged between 16 to 25, who are at an important transitional stage in their lives. The Fund aims to promote independence, community participation, social inclusion, and confidence amongst young disabled people, improving outcomes to help make a smoother transition from childhood into adulthood. This Fund since opening has delivered £12 million via 6,500 Transition Fund grants to more than 5,000 young disabled people
Find out more information and about how to apply at: ILF Scotland