Policy 4 - Recipient Contribution

Version: 6
Last Amended: 1 October 2022
Next Review: 1 October 2023

1     Background

ILF Scotland assumes recipients will make a contribution towards their ILF funded support. This policy explains:

• how ILF Scotland views this contribution
• how it relates to the value of the ILF Scotland award
• ILF Scotland’s discretion to consider partial or full waiver of contributions.

2     Policy

Effective from 1 June 2021 in Scotland and from 1 October 2022 in Northern Ireland, the maximum contribution from any ILF Scotland recipient is limited to the value of £43.00 weekly. 

ILF Scotland will maintain that lower value and will cap all contributions properly made at 1 June 2021 / 1 October 2022 at that level with no further increase in any assumed contribution. 

All earlier versions of Policy 4 are archived for reference, in the event of any required recalculation of a contribution. ILF Scotland can at its discretion, reduce a contribution to a level it feels appropriate if a recipient would have been better off under a previous version of this or related policies. 

Where a recipient’s total income increases from 1 June 2021 / 1 October  2022 for any reason, ILF will not take account of that increase.

In circumstances where ILF Scotland has carried out a notional financial assessment for a recipient who is not on a means tested benefit, and where the recipient’s total weekly income decreases from 1 June 2021 / 1 October 2022, ILF Scotland will compare the contribution due under this version of Policy 4 with previous, archived versions of this and other relevant associated archived policies and will apply the lesser value contribution, from the date of the income decrease.  Where a person is in receipt of Constant Attendance Allowance, ILF Scotland will apply the lesser of half of the amount of Constant Attendance Allowance received.

In all of the above, ILF Scotland will wholly disregard any partner or spouse income.

Where a Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) or Health and Social Care Trust (HSCT) decreases its charge, from 1 June 2021 / 1 October 2022, ILF Scotland will take no account of that decrease.

3     Policy Qualifications

ILF Scotland has the discretion to waive, in part or in full, any assumed   contribution in circumstances of hardship, which might include: 

• terminal illness (full waiver will apply)
• disability related costs
• costs related to the care of children
• any overlap with HSCP charging to the recipient’s detriment

Protections given by ILF UK to certain Group 1 (former Extension Fund) recipients are preserved indefinitely, on the basis and level given at 1 July 2015.  

4     Payment of ILF award

ILF Scotland bases its award on its assessment of the support a recipient requires. ILF Scotland will establish the award, deduct any assumed contribution as outlined in section 2 of this policy, and having considered any implications of section 3, will make this net award to recipients. 

5     Procedural considerations

ILF Scotland will deduct the assumed contribution from the weekly cost of support or the weekly cost of a retainer. Examples:

• If someone is paid on receipt of invoice rather than automatically, the contribution will be deducted from the invoice total.
• Where a retainer is paid for part of the usual support for the PA element but not the agency element, ILF Scotland will deduct the contribution from the gross retainer amount.
• If a recipient requires a replacement award for a limited or ongoing period, ILF Scotland will always deduct the contribution.

6     Unspent Monies / Overpayments

ILF Scotland will base its calculation of unspent monies or any overpayment on the net amount it paid and will not take into account the recipient’s contribution. 

7     History Review

1 October 2018
1 October 2019
1 June 2021
30 June 2022