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Disabled People

The Independent Living Fund

The Independent Living Fund is designed to help you, if you are severely disabled, to live independently at home rather than in residential care. You can use payments from the fund to employ people to give you personal and domestic care in your home.

Who can get it?

You can apply to the Independent Living Fund if you:

  • are over 16 and under 65 when your application is received
  • already get social services support to the value of at least £320 a week - this can include direct payments and/or services from your local authority, such as day-centre placement
  • receive or are entitled to the care component of the Disability Living Allowance at the highest rate
  • live alone or with people who cannot fully meet your care needs
  • are at risk of entering residential care, or are currently in residential care and wish to leave and live independently
  • are able to live independently for at least the next six months and within a specified funding limit from the Local Authority and Independent Living Fund combined (currently £785 per week)
  • are in receipt of Income Support, or the Guarantee Part of State Pension Credit and have less than £22,250 in savings, or meet a similar means test
  • satisfy conditions as to residence and presence in the UK

How much do you get?

The amount you receive is based on the cost of the care you need, worked out on an hourly or weekly basis.

The maximum available payment is £455 per week. Your savings, income and certain other benefits and expenses also affect how much you get.

The Independent Living Fund has leaflets explaining this in more details.

How it's paid

Independent Living Fund payments are made directly into any account of your choice which accepts benefit payments. This might be a bank, building society, Post Office or National Savings account.

If  you're registered blind or need someone who cares for you to collect your money, payment can be made by sending a cheque to cash at the Post Office.

Effect on other benefits

Payments from the fund won't affect your other benefits. This is because they are used to pay for your care so are not counted as income.

But the Independent Living Fund takes half of the Disability Living Allowance and full Severe Disability Premium into account in their financial assessment.

What you can use it for

You can use payments from the Independent Living Fund to pay for employing a care agency or personal assistant(s) to help you with personal and domestic tasks including:

  • bathing, toileting, washing and dressing
  • cooking and shopping
  • laundry, cleaning and other household tasks

You may be able to get personal care when you're socialising or at work.

What you cannot use it for

You can't use payments from the Independent Living Fund to pay for:

  • wages of a spouse, partner or relative (including in-laws) acting as a personal assistant who lives in your house
  • help from social services, including residential respite care, home care stamp or any other charges
  • household bills, including heating, food and clothes
  • external laundry costs
  • childcare
  • gardening
  • wheelchairs or other equipment or furniture
  • adaptations to your home
  • care assistance to anyone other than yourself
  • holidays
  • petrol and other travel expenses
  • private hospital or residential care home fees
  • hairdressing or chiropody, unless for essential personal care
  • physiotherapy, aromatherapy, hydrotherapy or massage

How to apply

You can download an application form from the Independent Living Fund website. The form includes notes to help you complete it.

You can also ask the social services department of your local council for an Independent Living Fund application form.

What happens next

If the fund believes you may qualify for a payment, one of their social workers will contact your local authority social worker to arrange a convenient time to visit you and do a joint assessment of your needs.

Every two years the Independent Living Fund will review your circumstances to check you're still getting the right level of payments.

An independent assessor and your local authority social worker or care manager will visit you to do the review. You can also ask to have a friend, relative or your personal assistant at the review meeting.

What to do if your circumstances change

You should let the Independent Living Fund know as soon as possible if your circumstances change as this may mean that your weekly payments will increase or reduce.

How to appeal

If you are unhappy about a decision or award made by the Independent Living Fund you can ask for a 'decision review' by writing, emailing, faxing or telephoning the fund within four weeks of the decision date.

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