Introduction
Following your care and support assessment, and if you have been allocated a personal budget to meet your eligible care needs, you may choose to have this money as a Direct Payment so that you can choose, arrange and pay for your own care and support.
How it works
If you qualify for help, the social care worker who completes your needs assessment will explain Direct Payments and how they work, and give you information to read. You can then take time to decide what you want you to do. You must want to have a Direct Payment and be able to manage your care and support arrangements, and keep information about how the money is used.
You can ask someone else to manage your Direct Payment for you, such as a friend, family member or volunteer. You may be thinking of employing someone to help you, this means you will take on the responsibility of an employer, so you need to know and understand the rules that employers must follow. We have organisations that can help you with this (see below).
You must set up, and have your Direct Payment paid into a separate bank account that is only used for your Direct Payment. The money must only be used to achieve the things agreed in your care and support plan.
You cannot use your Direct Payment to pay for food, gas, electricity or other utilities or long-term care in a care home. Before buying any specialist equipment first consider if it is available from the integrated Community Equipment and Home Improvement Agency – MyHome MyLife – This can normally be provided free of charge if you have been assessed by an Occupational Therapist as needing the equipment.
You can receive a Direct Payment as well as benefits. Your Direct Payment will not affect the benefits you receive. It is not the same as Direct Payments from the Department for Work and Pensions.
The Direct Payment Advisory Scheme
Independent advisory services are available to support people who have Direct Payments. Anyone having a Direct Payment for the first time should meet, or talk, with one of their experienced advisers. They can:
- visit you at home to explain the help they can provide
- discuss your responsibilities as a Direct Payment user
- help you set up a Direct Payment bank account
- help you recruit and employ staff
- help you set up a system for dealing with tax and National Insurance for someone you employ
- offer a payroll service, if needed
- help and explain how to keep financial records to show what you have spent
- be at the end of a phone if you need advice.
An independent advisor will, to start with, be able to help you manage the paperwork for a short time until you are confident with it. They will support you through the whole process, from deciding whether or not to use Direct Payments to setting up everything to get going. The advisor is there to support you once your arrangements are set up and if you have any problems or concerns about employing your staff.