If you have been assessed as needing support under the Care Act, a Direct Payment is an option to give you greater control and more options over the resources that are used to meet those needs. It basically involves you taking control of the money for your services.
You can use that money to choose and buy the services you need yourself, instead of having the Council arrange them for you. Direct Payments offer several advantages for people who need care and support services, such as:
The opportunity to have people who you already know well providing your care and support can be one of the special benefits of a direct payment. We recommend for everyone who needs care and support in the community to think about whether direct payments would suit them best. Direct payments will not affect your benefits and they are not taxable.
Anyone who has been assessed by a care manager as needing community care, has a right to opt for direct payments, though there are a few restrictions:
You must be willing and able to manage the paperwork and responsibilities involved (with someone helping if necessary).
Carers can get direct payments if they have been assessed as needing services in their own right. A carer for someone who doesn’t have the mental capacity to manage their own direct payment may be able to manage their direct payment on their behalf.
You can only use this payment in line with your agreed care and support plan. Examples of services which people often use direct payments for include:
You are not able to use your direct payment to pay for:
Once your assessment is completed by a Social Worker or Care Manager, a referral will be sent to our Direct Payment Team, and a Direct Payment Advisor will guide you through the direct payment process. Some people worry that employing people would mean a lot of form-filling and dealing with bureaucracy. But you don't have to do all of that yourself. There are organisations which can do most of the work for you, and you can pay for their services from your direct payment. Most people find it easiest to use a payroll company to manage the details of payments to their personal assistants (PAs). If you don't already have people in mind who you want to pay to support you, our direct payments team can help you with advertising and interviewing. They can also help with employment queries and with training for your personal assistants.
You can ask at any time to stop receiving direct payments and change to services arranged by us. If your needs are complex, we will need some notice to sort this out. To find out more, talk to your care manager, or contact the Direct Payments Team.
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