ILF To Fund Some Past Residents of Long Stay Hospitals

The Independent Living Fund has been in discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department of Health (DH) about the possibility of taking applications for funding from some former residents of long stay hospitals.

The Fund is very pleased to announce that with effect from 1 October 2006 applications can be considered from :

• People who have previously lived in a long stay hospital and who are currently in local authority funded residential care receiving social care provision in a residential setting and now moving to live independently.
• People who were former patients in long stay hospitals in the UK and who are currently living in the community, for example with relatives, and now moving to live independently. Any existing local authority provision must be maintained. ILF will not take over any existing provision.
• Former patients in long stay hospitals who are currently in a nursing home receiving care that is partly funded by the Health Authority and partly by the Local Authority and now moving to live independently.

The ILF will not offer funding to :

• People currently living in a long stay hospital who are moving directly to independent living
• Former long stay hospital patients who are now in a nursing home and whose care is fully funded by the relevant Health Authority
• Former long stay hospital patients living as in patients in NHS residential accommodation, also referred to as “NHS campus” accommodation

Discussions are still ongoing with DWP and DH about taking applications from those moving from current long stay hospitals or NHS campus accommodation arrangements.

The ILF application form will be amended in due course. As an interim measure an insert will be sent out with the current application form for use in cases where the applicant is a former long stay hospital resident. Further details regarding the operation of these changes will be issued as soon as possible.

The Chief Executive of the ILF, Elaine Morton, said, "This change allows the Fund to help more severely disabled people to have choice and control over their lives."

[16 August 2006] 

[Revised 4 September 2006]