Your views sought on independent living fund

The ILF is a UK-wide fund which provides financial support to severely disabled people, on a discretionary basis, to enable them to remain in their homes, rather than move to residential care.

The consultation, which was launched on 12 July this year, suggests the closure of the ILF in 2015 and calls for comment on a number of issues including:

· Moving the responsibility for the support of current ILF recipients over to the mainstream health and social care system operated by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

· The challenges that ILF recipients would face in this change of responsibility and how these challenges can be mitigated against.

· The impact the closure of the ILF would have on the health and social care sector in NI, and;

· How ILF recipients can best be supported if the decision is taken to close the fund in 2015.

Minister Poots said: “The Independent Living Fund has played an important role in providing support for a number of disabled people in Northern Ireland since the fund was established in 1988.

“However, changes in the health and social care system since the fund was established has called into question the effectiveness of a separate funding stream operating in parallel to, but outside of, the mainstream care and support system that is administered by health and social care trusts.”

Minister McCausland added: “I would urge people in Northern Ireland who will be affected by the proposals contained within this consultation to make their views known.

“It is important that this exercise is well informed by the views of people in Northern Ireland who have an interest in the future of this scheme, especially those who are currently in receipt of financial support from the Independent Living Fund.”

The consultation document can be downloaded from http://www.dwp.gov.uk/future-of-ilf.

and responses will be accepted via email to [email protected] or by post to:

ILF Consultation Team

Ground floor

Caxton House

Tothill Street

London SW1A 9NA

The consultation closes on 10 October 2012.