EQIA: Qualifying Benefits - July 2026

In completing this EQIA, you should be ensuring that you give thought to the needs of diverse groups of people when developing and implementing a new policy, procedure or service or a change to existing ones. Please consider the protected groups in line with the Equality Act 2010 and other diverse groups whom the change may impact.

Name of Activity: Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for:
Policy 14 – Qualifying Benefits for ILF Scotland Award
Policy 15 – Engaging Care outside Scotland and Northern Ireland
Policy 20 – ILF Scotland Payments
Policy 26 – Managing an ILF Scotland Award
Policy 38 – Suspension and Reinstatement of an ILF Award

Name of person completing EQIA: Linda Scott, Director of Policy, Improvement and Engagement

Date EQIA completed: 8 July 2026

What type of activity are you planning?

Change to Policy: Yes
Change to Procedure: No
Change to Service: No
Event: No
Office Plan / Budget: No
Project: No

1. Describe the main aim or purpose of what it is you are planning to do?

Non means tested benefits currently form part of the eligibility criteria for ILF Recipients in Group 1 and Group 2. The proposal is to remove these qualifying benefits to bring Group 1 and 2 recipients into alignment with Group 4 recipients who do not require these qualifying benefits as part of the access criteria.

2. Who is likely to be affected by this policy, service or charge?

This change would affect any Group 1 and Group 2 recipients whose awards would be in suspension due to not receiving these benefits. At the time of the proposed change, this does not affect any current recipients.

3. Do you have enough information to know what the potential impact might be on diverse groups and what that might look like?

The protected characteristics to consider are Age, Disability, Sex, Race, Religion or Belief, Gender Reassignment, Sexual Orientation, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity. It will also be helpful to consider these groups more widely in relation to their socio-economic status that includes such factors as educational attainment, occupation, income, wealth, and social deprivation.

Please mark as Yes or No. If yes use the Comments column to describe what the potential impact is. What are your sources of evidence?

Try to think about both positive and negative impacts. There are various sources of data to help answer this question such as Diversity Networks, the Diversity Report or Diversity & Inclusion team. Previously completed EQIAs may also offer answers to questions you may have.

Age: No
Comments:

Disability: Yes
Comments: This change could positively affect any existing Group 1 and Group 2 recipients who may have had their award enter suspension should their qualifying benefits be reduced or removed. The proposed change would ensure their award would continue, which is beneficial.

Gender Reassignment: No
Comments:

Marriage and Civil Partnership: No
Comments:

Pregnancy and Maternity: No
Comments:

Race: No
Comments:

Sex: No
Comments:

Sexual Orientation: No
Comments:

Is there evidence of any impact on other groups not covered by the protected characteristics? If yes use the Comments column to describe what the potential impact is, what you could do to remove / reduce any negative impact and what you could do to benefit from any positive impact.

For example, carer status, single parent, economic exclusion, care experienced. It is important not to limit your thinking to just the protected characteristics listed above. The question is broadening the EQIA out to be more inclusive. The impact might be a negative one for example making that decision could decrease the opportunity for some people to participate or it could be a positive one for example by making that decision, more people are able to take part in the activity.

No

4. Have you consulted with the relevant internal or external groups? Or have you gathered evidence to help you understand the potential impact on different groups? What sources have you used to gather information?

If there are gaps in information that make it difficult to form an opinion on how your policy, service or change might affect different groups of people, gather other information to help you make an informed decision for example review statistics, survey results, complaints analysis, consultation documents, customer feedback, existing briefings submissions or business reports, comparative policies from external sources and other Government Departments etc.

The proposed change is as a result of a commitment at the time of re-opening in April 2024 to examine key differences between the re-opened and the existing ILF that may lead to assertations of inequality. The Director of Policy presented these options to the Co-production working group - appointed prior to re-opening to establish the policy framework and tasked with further policy enhancement and alignment once the fund re-opened. The Group agreed that these changes should be implemented with Scottish Government approval.

The proposed change was also presented and discussed by the Scotland and the Northern Ireland Advisory groups.

It has also been discussed within ILF Scotland at Senior Leadership Team level, Assessor team meetings and communicated to the wider staff group at ILF for comment. They were largely positive about the change, although one concern was raised. This concern relates to the removal of the Financial Information Form currently completed by the recipient at the ILF Scotland review. It was noted that the policy change would remove the need for the Financial Information form which is also used as a check and review of benefits the recipient may be entitled to. It was agreed that to mitigate this, ILF Scotland assessors would still discuss benefits with the recipients and identify any entitlements that they may have.

5. Having analysed the relevant sources of information, what does the evidence tell you? Is there any evidence that the proposed changes will have an adverse equality impact on any of these groups of people?

Age: No
Disability: No
Gender Reassignment: No
Marriage and Civil Partnership: No
Pregnancy and Maternity: No
Race: No
Religion or Belief: No
Sexual Orientation: No

6. Please provide details of who the proposals affect, the adverse impacts and explain how you will minimise or remove the adverse impact.

Group 1 and Group 2 recipients may be affected by the change, however there should be no adverse impact.

7. Is there any evidence that the proposed changes will have a positive impact on any of these groups of people and / or promote equality of opportunity? Please provide details of which group / groups might benefit from the positive impacts and how you intend to promote and evaluate any benefit.

Age: No
Disability: The proposed changes will bring existing Group 1 and Group 2 recipients in line with Group 4 recipients, providing equality across all recipients.
Gender Reassignment: No
Marriage and Civil Partnership: No
Pregnancy and Maternity: No
Race: No
Religion or Belief: No
Sexual Orientation: No

8. Provide a final summary of the commitments / actions you will take in consequence of completing this EQIA. Who will you consult with on your action plan and how will you do this to ensure the relevant stakeholders understand the equality impact?

We will continue to inform Recipients / Award Managers of this policy via our website, and contact with our Assessors and Specialist Caseworkers, Scottish Advisory Group and NI Advisory Group.

9. Have you a plan in place to review your actions? Please provide a summary. Will the plan require sign off and if so, from where?

Ongoing monitoring and review of policy impact on Recipients / Award Managers via feedback from Assessors and Specialist Caseworkers, ILF Management Team, Senior Management Team. Policy will be signed off by Linda Scott, Director of Policy, Improvement and Engagement.