Direct Payments

Types of accounts

There are two types of accounts you can use, and each type has a different level of responsibility.

Managed Accounts use a payroll company to support you to manage your direct payment and we pay the funds into this account instead of your own direct payment bank account.

All payments such as Personal Assistant wages or agency invoices are made on your behalf by the payroll company. They also provide the financial information when it is needed for monitoring purposes.

This might be an ideal account for if you:

• struggle with managing your direct payment and Personal Assistants.
• find it hard to keep track of how you spend your direct payment. 
• do not have someone who can manage your direct payment account of your behalf.

Standard Accounts pay the direct payment into a dedicated bank account that you have opened. This means you are responsible for paying Personal Assistants and any other invoices, cheques, standing orders or direct debits relating to the management of the direct payments.

You are also accountable for all spending and making sure the right documents are submitted to us regularly.

This would be a good option if you:

• want more control, choice, and responsibility over your direct payment.
• can deal with the management of Personal Assistants, agencies and other services to make sure they are paid on time.
• keep track of how your direct payment is being spent.

You can talk about this with the person in adult social care who support you or with the Direct Payment Team to find out which account is best for you.

How can it not be used?

• Long-term residential care or short-term residential care of more than 4 weeks, periods of short-term care less than 4 weeks will be combined for this purpose and may add to the total period.
• Employing a family member living in the same household as you but this may be agreed in exceptional circumstances or to provide administrative support for the direct payment. 
• Anything that does not achieve an eligible outcome within your Support Plan.
• Any personal contributions resulting from a financial assessment such as co-funding, tele-care charges, mileage, contributions to Disabled Facilities Grant or client contribution for short term care in a residential home.
• Personal daily living costs such as purchasing food, clothing, employing a cleaner, debt repayment, gambling, or any other illegal purposes.

Our Policy 

View at our Direct Payment Policy on our plans and performance page.