Direct payments for long-term support

A direct payment is where we pay you our contribution towards your personal budget. You then arrange the services agreed in your support plan yourself.

• Who can get direct payments?

• What can they be used for?
• What are the advantages?
• What am I responsible for?
• What help can I get?
• Tax and benefits
• Do I have to have direct payments?

Who can get direct payments?

Anyone who is eligible for long-term social care support and is offered a personal budget can have a direct payment. For more details about getting care see our long-term personal support page.

What can they be used for?

A direct payment can be used on anything you have agreed in your support plan. This can include things such as:

• help with washing, showering, eating, dressing, toileting and getting in and out of bed
• help with things you do in the day
• practical help, for example: shopping, collecting pension, essential cleaning and preparing a meal
• short breaks for yourself.

Direct payments cannot be used for:

• services provided by Nottinghamshire County Council
• accommodation/housing costs
• services for your health care needs
• long term residential or nursing care
• employing close relatives to provide your care.
  

What are the advantages?

Direct payments offer you:

• flexibility and choice - you buy the care and support that suits your needs
• control - you decide how your needs will be met, by whom and at what time.

What am I responsible for?

If you have a direct payment you are responsible for:

• managing the money - you must have a separate 'direct payments' bank account and keep records of how the money is spent
  
• arranging any services - including sorting out any problems that happen with them
  
• employing any staff - if you employ staff you have the legal responsibilites that go with it. The Department of Health provide good information about this. Our Support with Confidence pages list personal assistants who have been checked and trained.

What help can I get?

Our social care directory lists several organisations that can help you with managing your direct payments.

Tax and benefits

Direct payments are not taxable and do not affect your welfare benefits. When you are assessed for long-term social care we will offer you welfare rights advice to help you claim all the benefits you are entitled to.

Do I have to have direct payments?

There are other ways to receive long-term personal care from us but you will not have the same amount of choice and control over how you get the care.

• Managed budget - we control your personal budget and arrange services for you

• Mixed budget - you have direct payments for part of your care and a managed budget for the rest.

If you have direct payments but find they are not suitable for you you can always change to having a managed or mixed budget.