What are Direct Payments?
Direct Payments are cash payments made to individuals who have been assessed as needing help from Social Services. The money is provided so that the individual can arrange services or support for themselves instead of having services provided or arranged by Social Services. The Government recognises that most people prefer to live independently in their own homes and direct payments are a good way to help support them to do so. The aim of a Direct Payment is to give more flexibility in how services are provided to many individuals who are assessed eligible for social services support. By giving individuals money in lieu of social care services people have greater choice and control over their lives, and are able to make their own decisions about how their care is delivered.
Instead of receiving support services directly from local authorities, disabled people can opt to receive the equivalent amount in cash and buy their own support package. Direct payments allow a person who has been assessed as needing services to receive cash to arrange and pay for these services independently. You can have a combination of some services provided directly by Social Services and others arranged by yourself with direct payments. The vast majority of people assessed as needing services have a right to direct payments. Direct payments enable you to choose how you organise your social care needs in a flexible way that suits you. They are not taken into account when calculating income for benefits and are not liable to income tax. However, users need to show their local authority that the money paid to them is being spent in accordance with their care plan. Download a summary of Scope’s ‘The Direct Approach: Disabled people’s experience of direct payments’.
