Factsheet
3: Spending Direct Payments
Money is to be spent on fulfilling your needs for
personal support, as agreed by your Care Plan.
Your Local Authority will
determine the hourly rate of payments
available to you. The rate that you pay
for your personal assistants will be lower than this. The surplus is to meet
your other employment costs and to encourage good employment practice.
Examples of how you can use Direct Payments:
·
Pay for recruiting and training your personal assistants.
·
Cover holiday / sickness pay and arrange alternative support
at these times.
·
Give enhanced payments eg. weekend, bank holiday or unsociable
hours.
·
Pay for your administrative costs or accounting requirements.
·
Pay for any agreed equipment. When buying these items you
require a receipt for the amount paid.
·
Pay for respite or short breaks
·
Pay an agency to provide your care support.
·
With agreement from Social Services, pay a third party to
help you arrange your own support. The Rowan’s Independent Living
Adviser will give you help for free.
·
Pay for day opportunities
·
To assist people moving from a residential home back into the
community
Although some variations and restrictions may apply,
Local Authorities can be both flexible and imaginative to ensure that you receive
the most appropriate support package.
This is not an exhaustive list and if you feel there is a
necessary cost which is not listed, then ask for help and advice. It is
important that you use the money for legitimate purposes, otherwise it is presumed
that that level of support is not required,
and your care plan may be reassessed with reduced payments.