Direct Payments and Independent Living Funds
- What are Independent Living Funds (ILF)?
- If you’re receiving Independent Living Funds and are interested in Direct Payments
- If you’re already receiving Direct Payments and are interested in ILF
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What are Independent Living Funds?
In brief, Independent Living Funds were set up as a national resource, dedicated to the financial support of people with a disability, to enable them to choose to live in the community rather than in residential care.
The Independent Living Fund is funded by central government, not the local authority or council. Awards are in the form of regular four-weekly payments to individuals, which are used to buy personal and domestic care in the community. Recipients may use care agencies or employ a personal assistant, but may not employ relatives who live in the same house.
Independent Living Funds are open to applications from people with a disability who are permanent residents of the United Kingdom and who meet all of its following eligibility criteria:
- Receive at least £10,400 per year (£200 a week) in services or Direct Payments from your local council’s Social Services Department
- Be at least 16 years of age and apply before your 65th birthday
- Receive the highest rate care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Expect to live in the community for the next six months
- Have capital of less than £18,500 (excluding the property you live in). This amount includes any capital your partner may have
If you’re receiving Independent Living Funds and are interested in Direct Payments
If you’re receiving ILF you will probably be entitled to receive Direct Payments. This is because to meet the criteria for getting ILF you must be receiving services worth at least £200 a week from your council’s Social Services department. If you’re not using Direct Payments already, you’ll probably be receiving this in the form of a ‘provided’ service; perhaps by attending a day centre or having a council care worker coming to your home to help you.
By opting to take Direct Payments instead of the provided service, you can ‘take back’ the money that your service costs from the council and spend it yourself on meeting your care or support needs. This can provide much more flexibility and can work together well with your ILF money to give you total control over your care.
In terms of administration, Direct Payments work along the same lines as Independent Living Funds in that you open a separate bank account, have the money paid in and keep appropriate records. Your Direct Payments money must be spent on meeting your assessed needs.
Visit our Direct Payments pages to find out more
If you’re already receiving Direct Payments and are interested in ILF
If you’re already receiving Direct Payments from the council, you may be eligible for further funding for care and support from the Independent Living Fund. Read the ILF information above and visit the Independent Living Fund website to find out more.
If it appears that you may be eligible for ILF funding, your social worker will support you to make an application.
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Download this information as a factsheet
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Factsheet - Direct Payments and Independent Living Funds.pdf (2 pages, 103kb)
Publication date: December 2007
Contact: Marketing Team, Adult and Community Services
Tel: 0191 370 8825
