Direct Payments

What is a Direct Payment?

A Direct Payment is money paid to you by Local Authorities and /or Health so you can look after your own Personal Budget and use it to meet your eligible care needs. If you choose to organise your own support, we will arrange to pay your Personal Budget to you.

Can I get Direct Payments?

Following a community care assessment, if you have eligible care needs someone from Social Services will talk to you about Direct Payments. You can choose whether you would like to receive your Personal Budget as a Direct Payment or you can ask Social Services to arrange your care for you. If you decide you want a Direct Payment so you can arrange your own care:

You will need to have a financial assessment to work out whether you qualify for Direct Payments. We will calculate how much you will need to pay towards your care. If you get Direct Payments the weekly amount you are assessed as able to pay towards your support will be deducted from your Direct Payment before we pay it to you.

You will need to show us how you will use the money to meet your assessed needs. You will be invited to complete a care and support plan. This plan will say how you will manage your Direct Payment account and describe how you plan to use your Personal Budget to meet your eligible needs. Anyone can help you make a care and support plan, or we will help you if you prefer.You will need to have a separate bank account that will be solely used for your Direct Payments. Social Services will usually pay your Direct Payments to you in 4 weekly instalments.

You will need to keep simple records such as receipts and bank statements. We will ask to see these records on a regular basis. If you choose to receive Direct Payments you will have to show that you have used the money properly to meet the eligible needs in your agreed care and support plan. You will also be responsible for ensuring the money is used in the most cost effective way.

By choosing to receive Direct Payments you will be managing your own care and support. You will be responsible for the contract between you and the person or people you choose to employ. If you decide to employ your own personal assistant, you will need to be fully aware of your responsibilities as an employer. The Direct Payments Team can give you more detailed information about this.

Please note: Direct Payments are provided at Local Authority / Health discretion and may be withdrawn at any time if we are not satisfied the money is being used appropriately or managed correctly. The Direct Payments scheme is optional. If you tell us that you no longer want to have Direct Payments Social Services can arrange services to meet your needs instead.