What is a Direct Payment?
A Direct Payment is funding given to people eligible for council or health funded care and support. They can offer you greater choice and control over the care and support you receive and how it is provided.
We'll offer you a Direct Payment if:
- you're eligible for funded social care services
- you have complex learning difficulties or disabilities and an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- you have very complex needs and are eligible for continuing health care
This includes:
- adults aged 18 or over
- someone with parental responsibility for a disabled child
- a disabled young person aged 16 or 17
- a carer
Your benefits and Direct Payments
A Direct Payment isn’t considered as income and it is not intended as a replacement for benefits such as Personal Independence Payments (PIP). It will not affect any of your existing benefits.
The cost of Direct Payments
If you are over 18 and applying for Adult Social Care, you'll have a financial assessment to look at your income and savings and work out how much, if anything, you would need to pay toward the cost of your care and support.
Direct Payments policy
You can read or download documents relating to our Direct Payments policy on our document page.