Version: 5
Last Amended: 3 August 2026
Next Review Date: 31 March 2027
The types of short-term support regularly forming part of Recipients support packages are:
This policy outlines what scenarios ILF Scotland can and cannot fund.
Holiday – a break taken mainly for the benefit of the Recipient
Respite – a break taken mainly for the benefit of the carer
Where a Recipient already has an existing replacement award in place because their support arrangements are variable throughout the year, ILF Scotland can continue to meet these costs. This is inclusive of all current holiday offers.
ILF Scotland promotes choice and control for our Recipients. Where possible, we will seek to maintain the existing support to Recipients and we will not normally agree to fund additional support needs above and beyond those previously identified at the initial assessment or review visit.
Each Recipient should agree with their ILF Scotland Assessor, how to meet their independent living outcomes using their ILF Scotland award, and to decide how much they are likely to spend in any given week. We understand that Recipients may not spend the exact amount of their weekly award on support each week. For further details on how a Recipient can use their award, please see Policy 41 - Use of ILF Scotland Funding.
Recipients can use their award flexibly in order to pay for support whilst on holiday, but no additional payment for this will be made. Where a Recipient has an existing replacement award in place and their support arrangements are variable throughout the year, these costs can continue to be met. This is inclusive of all current holiday offers.
Where there is an existing replacement award in place, ILF Scotland can continue to provide funding for Recipients who require support for certain periods of the year only, such as holiday periods during a college, school or university course.
Some ILF Scotland Recipients have family living outside of the UK and may choose to spend part of the year residing with relatives abroad. ILF Scotland will agree to this providing the cost of staying with family abroad can be met out of the normal award or there is an existing replacement offer in place. In all cases, the Recipient should continue to meet the residence and presence requirements set out in Policy 32 - Residence and Presence Scotland and Northern Ireland Recipients along with the other eligibility criteria set out by ILF Scotland.
Some ILF Scotland Recipients in further education, for example university students, may spend a part of their course in another country. As long as the residence and presence test continues to be met, along with all other eligibility criteria, ILF Scotland can provide funding to these Recipients. Funding can be provided where costs can be met from their normal award, or by covering their support needs where a replacement award is already in place.
We are able to agree a request for support while a Recipient stays with a family member for a period of time. For example, a Recipient lives permanently with one parent who provides a significant amount of unpaid support but spends some time staying with the other parent who is not able to provide the same level of unpaid support and has to purchase this at an additional cost.
This is on the condition that there is enough money in the Recipient’s ILF account to cover the cost of this or where there is an existing replacement award in place.
Where a Recipient accesses respite somewhere other than in a care home, for example in the home of a Personal Assistant, to provide a break to the main carer or to enable the carer to go on holiday, ILF Scotland can fund extra support needs associated with this. This is on the condition that there is enough money left in the Recipient’s ILF account to pay for this or where there is an existing replacement award in place.
Respite (in a registered care home) and/or hospital admissions
When a Recipient is in hospital, residential respite or an alternative care setting for more than one calendar month, their entitlement to ILF Scotland funding should normally be suspended until the Recipient returns home, when ILF Scotland will reinstate their award.
Where the Recipient continues to receive ongoing support from their Personal Assistant or Care Provider while they are in a hospital or an alternative care setting, ILF Scotland can agree to continue to pay the award for a period of up to six months. Any decision to extend the payment beyond six months will be at the discretion of ILF Scotland’s Senior Leadership Team.
A Recipient may have fluctuating support needs because of the nature of their disability or long-term condition. The Recipient may be able to manage these varying support needs within their overall ILF award or there may be an existing replacement award in place.
For Coming Home Recipients whose support needs fluctuate, ILF Scotland can consider additional costs out with the normal award on a case-by-case basis and at the discretion of its Senior Leadership Team.
Emergency Support
ILF Scotland cannot fund emergency support. Emergency support refers to situations where unforeseen, short-term needs are identified that require an immediate response and emergency support may be needed to prevent a Recipient coming to harm. This type of support is critical and therefore the Health & Social Care Partnership / Trust has a statutory duty to provide it.
For Coming Home Recipients, ILF Scotland may, on a case-by-case basis, agree to provide temporary or longer-term funding for support, services, or items that would normally fall within the responsibility of the HSCP.
Policy 15 - Engaging care outside Scotland and Northern Ireland
Policy 24 - Statutory Input into ILF Scotland Funding
Policy 32 - Residence and Presence
Policy 41 - Use of ILF Scotland Funding
Version 1: 1 July 2015
Version 2: 31 March 2021
Version 3: 31 March 2023
Version 4: 31 March 2026
Version 5: 3 August 2026
