Money for services you can arrange yourself

This puts you in charge of your care or support arrangements, giving independence and flexibility over who provides your care and how and when it is delivered. The services purchased with Direct Payments must be safe, legal and meet your care and support needs. Social care staff will provide help and support as you decide whether Direct Payments are for you.

Covid-19 booster jabs for personal assistants working with direct payments

Who can receive Direct Payments

Most people who are eligible for care and support services are also eligible for Direct Payments. 

Why choose Direct Payments

Having the money to pay for your own care and support means you have more choice and control over who provides your care and support services and when they are provided. Direct Payments can only be used to purchase goods and services that are safe and meet legal requirements and meet assessed eligible needs as set out in your Care and Support Plan which is agreed with your social worker / care coordinator.

What services and products are available

Our Locate - care and support in County Durham website can help you find services and products you can buy with your Direct Payments. The easy to use website contains details of providers of care and support services, health groups and other community information. Many people use their Direct Payments to employ a Personal Assistant. A Personal Assistant will support you to live as independently as possible by doing a range of tasks for you. This could include helping with personal care, social outings and community activities.

Adults with care needs can search for a Personal Assistant on the Locate website: Locate - personal assistants. Parents and carers of a child with care needs can search for a Personal Assistant to help them on the Families Information Service website.

Restrictions

Direct Payments can not be used to:

• buy health services
• buy long term residential care or very frequent 'short break' care in a residential facility
• pay household bills or other personal expenses
• buy services directly provided by the local authority

The money is not income or a benefit and therefore it will not affect any benefits you may already receive.

If you are over 18, you will be financially assessed to see if you need to make a contribution to the cost of any support you are entitled to.

You must be willing and able to manage the Direct Payments with support if required.

Those who lack capacity to consent to Direct Payments will need to have a suitable appointed person agreed by the council to receive the Direct Payments on their behalf.

Direct Payments cannot normally be used to employ close relatives who live in the same household. A small number of people may not be able to have Direct Payments and this would be discussed with your social worker or care co-ordinator.

Find out more

If you already receive care and support services from us and have a social worker or care co-ordinator, speak to them about using Direct Payments for part or all of your support needs. If you don't have a social worker or care coordinator, please contact us to have an assessment to find out if you are eligible. This information can also be found in our Direct Payments leaflets:

• Direct Payments - what you need to know (PDF, 463.0kb)
• A guide to Direct Payments (PDF, 261.1kb)
• Direct Payments Card
• Direct Payments - payments schedule
• Direct Payments - buying services from an agency or organisation
• Direct Payments - employing someone to help you as a Personal Assistant (PA)
• Direct Payments and self-employed workers
• Direct Payments and paying your client contribution
• Direct Payments - Transition
• Direct Payments - ending your Direct Payments
• Direct Payments and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Direct Payments and Redundancy
• Direct Payments and DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks
• Apply to become a personal assistant
• Auditing your Direct Payments

Managing Direct Payments

If you choose Direct Payments, you or a suitable appointed person will need to sign a Direct Payments Agreement which sets out the terms and conditions of receiving Direct Payments and also what the Council requires. Examples of Direct Payments Agreements can be viewed below:

• Direct Payments Agreement 2019 (PDF, 385.8kb)
• Direct Payments Agreement: One off payment (PDF, 137.9kb)

Direct Payments update

We produce regular information about Direct Payments to keep you up-to-date on the latest details:

• Direct Payments Employee Update - March 2020 (PDF, 324.0kb)