What are Direct Payments?
Overview
If you're eligible for a personal budget, you can have all or part of it paid to you via Direct Payments.
This gives you more control on how your money is spent, rather than have it arranged for you.
What you can use your Direct Payment for
You can use your Direct Payment for:
- personal care (including employing a personal assistant)
- day activities
- respite care
- support for daily living (keeping your home clean and safe)
Find out if you're eligible
Whilst most people are eligible to receive Direct Payments, you may not be eligible if you're:
- on a community order or suspended sentence
- on a community rehabilitation order
- an offender released from prison on licence
- subject to compulsory treatment orders for drug or alcohol dependency
- above the threshold following a financial assessment
How to get a Direct Payment
You should be offered direct payments as an option after your needs assessment. You can also ask the First Response team:
Email: [email protected]
Call: 01296 383204
How they can be paid
There are three ways in which the direct payments can be paid:
- Direct Payment Card
- Direct Payment Bank Account
- Direct Payment Managed Account
Personal budgets and direct payments
More information can found about direct payments on the NHS website.