EQIA: Removal of Capital Threshold - 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 38 – Suspension and Reinstatement of an ILF Scotland Award
Policy 39 – Treatment of Capital
Transition Fund 4 – Treatment of Capital

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?

The proposed amendment is to remove the Capital Threshold limit from the eligibility criteria for Group 1 and Group 2 recipients of the Independent Living Fund. The Capital Threshold is not applicable to recipients of the re-opened Fund.

Included in the proposal is a request that the Capital Threshold also be removed from eligibility criteria for the Transition Fund.

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

The change may affect recipients and applicants to the Independent Living Fund and Transition Fund, depending upon their circumstances.

The Capital Limit affects very few existing Group 1 and Group 2 recipients of the Independent Living Fund, with ten awards currently in suspension due to this circumstance.

There have only been two incidents of applicants to the Transition Fund having capital in excess of the limit at time of application, since the opening of the Fund.

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: Yes
Comments: Young people wishing to apply to the Transition Fund who had capital in excess of the Capital Limit will now be able to apply to the Fund, provided they meet other eligibility criteria.

Disability: Yes
Comments: Current recipients of the Fund, whose Awards are in suspension due to having capital in excess of the Capital Limit may now be eligible to have their award reinstated, subject to an assessment process.

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 changes are as a result of a commitment at the time of re-opening 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 SG approval.

The proposed change has also been presented to 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. All are supportive of the proposed change.

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.

The proposals may affect existing Group 1 and Group 2 recipients. No adverse effect is anticipated.

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: Removal of the Capital Threshold Limit recognises that there is a higher cost of living for disabled people because of disability related expenditure and in the majority of cases, any capital is used to meet these higher costs. The proposed change also brings Group 1 and Group 2 recipients into alignment with recipients of the re-opened Fund, where there are no Capital Threshold Limits in place.

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 on our website and contact with our Assessors and Specialist Caseworkers, and Scotland and Northern Ireland Advisory Boards.

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 and their Award Manager via feedback from Assessors and Specialist Caseworkers, Management Team and Senior Management Team. Policy will be signed off by Linda Scott, Director of Policy, Improvement and Engagement.