Direct Payments

From April 2003 every local council must offer people who need help to stay at home money instead of arranging services for them. These direct payments will enable you to choose how you organise the help you need in a flexible way.

Direct Payments are an important way of ensuring more people can continue to live independently in their own homes. Giving you money instead of services will give you greater control over your life, because you make the decisions about how your care is provided, and from whom. They give you wider choices, by enabling people of all ages to purchase care for themselves that better suits their individual needs.
If you receive direct payments, you can choose how your needs will be met, by whom and at what time. You are in control. You may employ people directly, so that any staff you employ report directly to you, or you may choose to make a contract with an Agency, (such as Care4) who will then be accountable to you, not the local council.

For example, some older people may not always find social services flexible enough to meet their needs, or some may feel that services lack continuity. You may find that the home help or carer arranged by the council cannot come at the time you want. With Direct Payments, you can arrange for someone to come whenever it suits you.

The payments do not affect social security benefit entitlements, or income tax.

If you have had an assessment from social services and if that assessment shows that you have needs which could be funded by social services then you have a right to ask for the money to be paid directly to you. This gives you control over how your needs are met.

Your Care Manager or Social Worker should have all of the information you may need regarding Direct Payments.