Direct payments - what are they

Direct payments allow you to receive cash payments from your local authority instead of care services. This can give you much more flexibility and greater control of your support package. This page has information about what direct payments are, and where you can find more detailed information.

What are direct payments

If the local authority has decided that you are entitled to community care services, you will probably be able to choose to receive payments instead of the services. These are direct payments and you can use the money to arrange your own care services.

You can use direct payments to help you buy services for:

• adults

• children

• carers

What choices do I have

If you are eligible for direct payments, you can choose to have:

• direct payments

• services that are provided or arranged by the local authority

• a mixture of direct payments and services the local authority has provided or arranged.

You can choose to have direct payments, but the local authority cannot force you to accept direct payments instead of council services.

For more detailed information on direct payments see:

• Who can have direct payments for care? - explains who has a right to have direct payments, who may be able to have them and who cannot have them

• Agreeing to direct payments for care - explains the need for someone to be to consent to receiving direct payments

• Using direct payments for care - tells you what you can use direct payments for

• How much should you get – direct payments for care? - tells you what the payment should cover

• Monitoring and reviews of direct payments - explains how the local authority will keep an eye on your direct payments

• Support for people using direct payments - tells you who can help you with managing your direct payments

• Problems with direct payments - has information about repayments, ending direct payments and complaints