Direct Payments

If you would like to have more control over how your child's services are provided, you could consider using direct payments. You can receive money to buy services from an organisation or employ a person instead of Social Services arranging the services for you. For example, you could employ a carer to provide short breaks or respite care for your child or you could use direct payments to purchase a nursery placement.

What can Direct Payments be used for?

Services which offer your child stimulation, new experiences and independence.

  • Short breaks / respite care
  • Day care placement
  • Assistance to attend an activity e.g. Youth club.
  • Personal care

How do you get Direct Payments?

  • You should contact your local Social Services to ask for an assessment.
  • The needs of your child and family will be assessed. 
  • Based on that assessment Social Services will decide if you meet their criteria for support services.
  • If you do, you will be offered support services or instead, be offered Direct Payments to arrange and purchase your own services or a mixture of both.

Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales can give payments instead of services, to allow disabled people and carers to buy in the services they have been assessed as needing.

Direct Payments are seen to promote the independence of parents and their disabled children who would like to manage their own social care needs. If a child is under 16 Direct Payments will usually be made to their parent. When a child becomes 16 she or he can receive payments in their own right to allow them to buy in the services they have been assessed as needing. In the past you could not insist on Direct Payments, however, in England and Scotland, a request should now be refused only in very limited circumstances.

The amount you receive should be enough to allow you to meet all costs, including tax and National Insurance as well as the fee for a police check, from the payments equivalent to what you would have been charged had they arranged the services. Alternatively, Social Services may make the payments in full and ask you to reimburse them any assessed charge. Any payments you receive must be used to pay for services to meet the assessed needs.

What are the advantages of receiving Direct Payments?

Direct Payments are about providing more choice, independence and control over the services and care.

Is there any help available?

The extra choice and flexibility that comes with receiving Direct Payments to organise your own services also means that you will have some extra responsibilities. For example, you could be responsible for:

  • Recruiting, employing and managing your own care workers.
  • Opening a separate bank or building society account.
  • Keeping simple financial records and managing the payments.

However, you will get a lot of support to help you with these responsibilities. A voluntary sector disability organisation can help you and your Council should advise on who is available in your borough.

What Direct Payments cannot be used for

Direct Payments are made so that individuals can arrange and purchase their own services. However, there are several things they can't be used for:

  • Direct Payments can't be treated as cash. They can't be used to buy things like food.
  • Direct Payments can't be used to employ your spouse or partner or anyone who lives in the same household.They can be used to recruit other family members as long as they don't live in the same household as you.
  • Direct Payments can't be used to purchase permanent residential care
  • Direct Payments can't be used to purchase Council run services.
  • Direct Payments are not treated as additional income when you are assessed for welfare benefits.

Please discuss with your Social Worker as other rulings may be in the pipeline

How to take it further

You can get further information about Direct Payments by writing, ringing, or emailing Social Services in your Council. Look up the Council website and search on "Direct Payments", ring your local carers organization, contact your social worker or speak to the local disability organization.

Links: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/ 

Download: A parents Guide to Direct Payments  and/or SCOPE's guide to Direct Payments 

Links for payroll companies:

Links for Finding a carer

  • Gumtree - Go to Work wanted, Nanny/Home Help and Teachers/Caring
  • Nannyjob - a site where you can advertise free for a carer/nanny
  • New Aupair - a site that matches families to au pairs.