Scottish Government
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Independent Living Fund Appointment

First Chief Executive announced.

The first Chief Executive of the new Independent Living Fund Scotland (ILF Scotland) has been appointed.

Peter Scott, currently Chief Executive of ENABLE Scotland, will take up post in June.

ILF was first established on a UK basis to support disabled people to live independent lives, at home, at work and in the community. It provides discretionary cash payments to disabled people to enable them to purchase care or support from an agency or pay wages of a privately employed personal assistant.

Last year, the Scottish Government announced that it would safe-guard the rights of the country’s most severely disabled people to live independent lives, by establishing a new national Scottish ILF.

All existing Scottish users will transfer to ILF Scotland on 1 July 2015, as planned. The Scottish Government has also committed £5 million to open the scheme up to new users.

Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, Jamie Hepburn said:

“I am delighted to announce that Peter Scott is to take up the role as the first Chief Executive of Scotland’s Independent Living Fund.

“Peter will be an asset to this organisation, which will continue to allow disabled people in Scotland to live independent, dignified and fulfilling lives. I wish him all the best in this role.”

Peter Scott said:

“I feel very privileged to be appointed as the Chief Executive of ILF Scotland. I fully understand the importance of the Independent Living Fund to current recipients.

“I am looking forward to working with people who have disabilities, their representative organisations and other partners to establish ILF Scotland.

“Together we will agree the best way forward to protect support for existing ILF recipients, to re-open the fund to new applicants, and to maximise this opportunity to support independent living for people who have disabilities in Scotland.”

Chief Executive of Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living and Co- Chair of the ILF Scotland Project Board, Florence Garabedian said:

“I am delighted that the organisation will soon have a CEO to lead on the tremendous work achieved so far. Peter Scott is bringing a lot of relevant experience and will play an important role in supporting the continuation of the current co-production process.”

Notes To Editors

The UK Independent Living Fund (ILF) is closing on 30 June 2015. It already closed to new applicants in 2010. In England, decision making and funding of ILF is being delegated to local authorities. In Scotland, the then DFM announced last April that the Scottish Government would establish a new national Scottish ILF. All existing Scottish users will transfer to ILF Scotland on 1 July 2015 as planned.

The UK ILF, was first established in 1988 to support disabled people to live independent lives, at home, at work and in the community.

The ILF provides discretionary cash payments to disabled people to enable them to purchase care/support from an agency or pay wages of a privately employed personal assistant.

Payments offer people flexibility they may not otherwise have, to live in their own home, take up employment or education or to socialise like other citizens.

Independent Living Fund Scotland

ILF Scotland is a new company limited by guarantee and established by Scottish Ministers to administer the Independent Living Fund, at arms-length from Ministers.

A Scottish Government consultation exercise about the future of the ILF, undertaken in 2013, showed an overwhelming preference by disabled people in favour of the continuation of a national ILF scheme for Scotland.

On top of the £35.4m transferred to the Scottish Government from DWP for existing users for 2015-16, the Scottish Government will be providing new funding of £5 million to open-up the fund to new users, for the first time since 2010.

The Scottish Government has a continued commitment to independent living and is co-producing ILF Scotland with disabled people, organisations representing them and with its statutory sector partners. That work is well underway, as the new Scottish scheme will go-live on 1 July 2015.

ILF Scotland will contribute towards the Scottish Government’s commitment to independent living and the ability of individuals to contribute to society and play a part in their local community.

 

Channel website: http://www.gov.scot/

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