What is a direct payment and personal budget?
If you are a social care user you could receive funding as a personal budget or direct payment to enable you to buy your own services and support. Receiving a personal budget or direct payment enables you to choose the services and support which you want to use rather than other people chosing for you. If you are thinking about applying for a direct payment or personal budget then please give me a ring before you do and I will give you 10 minutes of advice about applying.
Direct payments personal budgets are payments from the local council for people who have been assessed as needing help from social services, and who would like to arrange and pay for their own care and support services. These payments are made directly to the disabled person (or to someone acting on their behalf), to arrange their own care package.
Who can get a direct payment?
Anyone who is assessed as needing care services has the right to request a direct payment instead of having those services provided by their council. There are limited circumstances when direct payments are not awarded, however the majority of those already receiving, or those assessed as needing, social services have a right to direct payments.
