Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
 


 


Members will be aware from my Written Statement of 3 October 2014 that a consultation was undertaken late last year on the future care and support arrangements for recipients of Independent Living Fund (ILF). This Statement is to update members on the outcome of the consultation and how the Welsh Government will administer the funding for ILF recipients care and support in Wales from 1 July this year.


The UK Government announced to Parliament in March last year that it was to close the Independent Living Fund (ILF) on 30 June 2015\. This decision was taken without any prior reference to the devolved administrations. At this point responsibility for meeting the support needs of the ILF recipients in Wales will pass to the Welsh Government.   

The ILF was set up in 1988 as an Executive Non\-Departmental Public Body of the Department for Work and Pensions. It provides financial support to disabled people throughout the UK who require a high level of support to live independently. It is presently funded by the UK Government and operated by the ILF.  


The ILF makes direct cash payments to disabled people with very significant care needs so they can meet the cost of the care and support they require, or to employ their own personal assistant. Payments can be used for a range of things such as: assistance with eating and drinking; cooking and preparing food and drink; assistance with dressing; cleaning, laundry and other domestic duties. As of 30 January this year there were 1,648 ILF recipients in Wales, who received on average just over £335 a week from the ILF to meet their needs.


The consultation ran between 3 October and 23 December last year and sought views on which of four options responders preferred as the vehicle to continue to provide care and support to ILF recipients in Wales. The four options under consideration were:


 


* Setting up a Welsh successor body to the ILF.
* Establishing a National Independent Living Scheme.
* Transferring Responsibility and Funding to Local Authorities via their Normal Funding Mechanism; or
* Transferring Responsibility and Funding to Local Authorities via a Special Grant with conditions set by the Welsh Government.


 


Officials recorded receiving 279 responses at the conclusion of the consultation, giving varying levels of support for each option. My officials collated and analysed the responses and provided briefing and advice to me on the support each option received together with the advantages and disadvantages of taking each option forward.


Having carefully considered the responses and views expressed I have decided, at this point, to implement Option Four a grant scheme, administered by local authorities to pay existing ILF recipients their current level of funding. This approach reflects both the need for speed in putting in place arrangements by 30 June of this year and the short term nature of the current funding offer. The grant scheme will run from July 2015 until the end of March 2017\. Funding of £20\.4m has already been confirmed for the period July 2015 to end of March 2016\. This is based on the number of people receiving ILF when the current scheme closes on 30 June. Funding beyond this date is subject to the next Spending Round. If, at that point, funding based on actual number of recipients is confirmed as part of the long term budget of the Welsh Government then I will reconsider the steps needed to develop a Welsh successor body to the current ILF as a longer term solution.


I am fully aware of the ongoing anxiety and concerns experienced by current ILF recipients as a result of the announcement of the closure. The grant scheme I have announced today will ensure that current levels of funding are maintained whilst keeping open the possibility of a permanent body to operate ILF in Wales, should conditions permit. In the mean time, today’s decision provides clarity to current ILF recipients in Wales that their current care and support pathways will be maintained, alleviating concerns expressed by ILF recipients and removing employment concerns raised by their carers.


Officials will now liaise with local authority representatives and their organisations and stakeholders to work through the details of the grant scheme to ensure that it is in place by the end of June.


I will of course ensure Members are kept informed of the developments of the arrangements for ILF in Wales. 


 


 


 


 







Translation:


 
Bydd yr Aelodau’n gwybod o’m Datganiad Ysgrifenedig 3 Hydref 2014 i ymgynghoriad gael ei gynnal ddiwedd y llynedd ar drefniadau’r dyfodol o safbwynt y trefniadau gofal a chymorth i dderbynwyr y Gronfa Byw’n Annibynnol (ILF). Diben y Datganiad hwn yw rhoi’r newyddion diweddaraf i’r aelodau am ganlyniad yr ymgynghoriad a sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru’n gweinyddu’r cyllid ar gyfer gofal a chymorth derbynwyr ILF yng Nghymru o 1 Gorffennaf eleni.

Cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth y DU i’r  Senedd ym Mawrth y llynedd y byddai’n dod â’r Gronfa Byw’n Annibynnol (ILF) i ben ar 30 Mehefin 2015\. Gwnaed y penderfyniad hwn heb gyfeirio ymlaen llaw at y gweinyddiaethau datganoledig. Pan fydd y Gronfa’n dod i ben bydd y cyfrifoldeb dros ddiwallu anghenion cymorth derbynwyr ILF yng Nghymru yn trosglwyddo i Lywodraeth Cymru. Cafodd ILF ei sefydlu ym 1988 fel Corff Cyhoeddus Anadrannol Anweithredol o’r Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau. Mae’n darparu cymorth ariannol i bobl anabl ledled y DU y mae arnynt angen lefel uchel o gymorth er mwyn gallu byw’n annibynnol. Mae’n cael ei hariannu ar hyn o bryd gan Lywodraeth y DU a’i gweithredu gan yr ILF.  

Mae’r ILF yn gwneud taliadau arian parod uniongyrchol i bobl anabl ag anghenion gofal sylweddol iawn er mwyn iddynt dalu cost y gofal a’r cymorth y mae arnynt eu hangen, neu i gyflogi eu cynorthwywyd personol eu hunain. Gellir defnyddio’r taliadau am ystod o bethau megis: cymorth gyda bwyta ac yfed; coginio a pharatoi bwyd a diod; cymorth i wisgo; glanhau, golch a dyletswyddau domestig eraill. Ar 30 Ionawr eleni roedd 1,648 o dderbynwyr ILF yng Nghymru, a oedd yn cael ychydig dros £335 yr wythnos o’r ILF ar gyfartaledd i ddiwallu eu hanghenion.

Cynhaliwyd yr ymgynghoriad rhwng 3 Hydref a 23 Rhagfyr y llynedd a gofynnodd am safbwyntiau ar ba un o bedwar dewis oedd orau gan yr ymatebwyr fel y cyfrwng i barhau i ddarparu gofal a chymorth i dderbynwyr ILF yng Nghymru. Y pedwar dewis a oedd o dan ystyriaeth oedd:

* Sefydlu corff olynol yng Nghymru i’r ILF.
* Sefydlu Cynllun Cenedlaethol Byw’n Annibynnol.
* Trosglwyddo Cyfrifoldeb ac Ariannu i’r Awdurdodau Lleol trwy eu Mecanwaith Ariannu Arferol; neu
* Drosglwyddo Cyfrifoldeb ac Ariannu i’r Awdurdodau Lleol trwy Grant Arbennig gyda’r amodau’n cael eu pennu gan Lywodraeth Cymru.

Rhoes swyddogion wybod bod 279 o ymatebion wedi dod i law ar ddiwedd yr ymgynghoriad, a bod lefelau amrywiol o gefnogaeth yn eu plith i bob dewis. Aeth fy swyddogion ati i goladu a dadansoddi’r ymatebion a rhoesant friffio a chyngor imi ar lefel y gefnogaeth i bob un o’r dewisiadau ynghyd â manteision ac anfanteision bwrw ymlaen â phob dewis.

Ar ôl rhoi ystyriaeth ofalus i’r ymatebion a’r safbwyntiau a fynegwyd rwyf wedi penderfynu rhoi Dewis Pedwar ar waith, sef cynllun grant sy’n cael ei weinyddu gan yr awdurdodau lleol i dalu’r lefel bresennol o gyllid i’r rhai sy’n derbyn ILF ar hyn o bryd. Mae’r dull hwn yn adlewyrchu’r angen am frys wrth roi trefniadau ar waith erbyn 30 Mehefin eleni a natur fyrdymor y cynnig ariannu presennol. Bydd y cynllun grant yn para o fis Gorffennaf 2015 tan ddiwedd Mawrth 2017\. Mae cyllid o £20\.4m eisoes wedi’i gadarnhau am y cyfnod Gorffennaf 2015 i ddiwedd Mawrth 2016\. Seilir hyn ar nifer y bobl sy’n cael ILF pan ddaw’r cynllun presennol i ben ar 30 Mehefin. Mae cyllid y tu hwnt i’r dyddiad hwn yn ddarostyngedig i’r Cylch Gwario nesaf. Os caiff cyllid sy’n seiliedig ar nifer y derbynwyr yn cael ei gadarnhau bryd hynny fel rhan o gyllideb hirdymor Llywodraeth Cymru yna byddaf yn ailystyried y camau y mae eu hangen i ddatblygu corff olynol yng Nghymru i’r ILF fel ateb tymor hwy.

Rwyf yn gyfan gwbl ymwybodol bod derbynwyr presennol ILF wedi bod yn pryderu o ganlyniad i’r cyhoeddiad bod y cynllun yn dod i ben. Bydd y cynllun grant yr wyf wedi’i gyhoeddi heddiw’n sicrhau bod lefelau presennol o gyllid yn cael eu cynnal tra’n cadw ar agor y posibilrwydd o gorff parhaol i weithredu ILF yng Nghymru os bydd yr amodau’n caniatáu. Yn y cyfamser, mae penderfyniad heddiw’n cynnig eglurdeb i dderbynwyr presennol ILF yng Nghymru y bydd eu llwybrau gofal a chymorth presennol yn cael eu cynnal, gan leddfu’r pryderon a fynegwyd gan dderbynwyr LIF a chan ddileu’r pryderon o ran cyflogaeth a godwyd gan eu gofalwyr.

Bydd swyddogion bellach yn cydweithio â chynrychiolwyr yr awdurdodau lleol a’u cyrff a rhanddeiliaid i weithio trwy fanylion y cynllun grant er mwyn sicrhau ei fod wedi cael ei sefydlu erbyn diwedd Mehefin.

Byddaf wrth gwrs yn sicrhau bod Aelodau’n cael gwybod am y datblygiadau o ran y trefniadau ar gyfer ILF yng Nghymru.