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How the ILF worked out your payment

When you first applied to the ILF, an assessor will have visited you to gather information about you and your circumstances. They also checked that you understood the responsibilities of receiving ILF money.

The ILF then calculated how much it would cost for the personal care and domestic assistance you needed.

Available income

The ILF also looked at how much of your own money you can pay towards your care costs. This is called ‘available income’.

It took into account half of your Disability Living Allowance and the full Severe Disability Premium, if you got it. It also considered other benefits and income that you and your partner receive, such as:

• company pension(s)
• Incapacity Benefit
• war pension
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• widow’s or widower’s pension
• income from capital, investments or savings

Your earnings from any jobs would not have been taken into account.

The ILF then worked out how much it could offer towards your care based on your weekly income and your living costs.

You can find more information in the ‘Financial information’ form.

• Download 'Financial information form' (PDF, 964K) Opens new window

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• Disability Living Allowance

• Premiums for disabled people

Your savings and capital

When the ILF first visited you it checked that you or your partner do not have more than £23,250 in capital.

The following is regarded as capital:

• savings in your or your partner’s bank or building society account
• stocks or shares you or your partner own
• houses that you or your partner own and that you do not live in
• land you or your partner own
• savings plans such as PEPs, TESSAs or ISAs

If you or your partner’s capital is less than £14,250, the ILF does not take any of this money into account. If you or your partner have between £14,250 and £23,250, the ILF will take some of this money into account.

If you don’t tell the ILF you have more than £14,250 in capital, it may overpay you. You will have to pay this money back.

Trust Funds and Courts

The ILF will not normally continue paying you if you are the beneficiary of a trust fund with assets of more than £23,250.

You need to tell the ILF if you have money from other sources. You may have money which is being administered by the High Court, County Court or Court of Protection, or which consists of compensation payments. This money will be dealt with in the same way as money from a trust fund.

If the money amounts to £23,250 or less, there are no restrictions on how you or your trustees can spend any money paid from it. Payments from the ILF can still continue.

Maximum sums you can receive

Group 1 (if you applied before April 1993)

The maximum payment the ILF can make per week is £815. This amount does not include any money you pay towards your care costs.

Group 2 (if you applied after April 1993)

The maximum payment for this group is £475 per week. This amount does not include any money you pay towards your care costs.

Effect on your benefits

Payments from the ILF do not affect your benefits. Please contact the ILF for further information.

• Independent Living Fund - contact information

More useful links

• The Independent Living Fund

• Managing and using your Independent Living Fund payment

• How the Independent Living Fund will review your payments