Direct payments

From the section: Paying for care

In this section:

Direct payments

This page explains what direct payments are, who can get them and what they can be used for. It also explains the process for applying for a direct payment.

If you already receive direct payments and are looking for help to manage them, please visit our Managing direct payments page.

What are direct payments?

Direct payments are a way for you to have control over your care and support personal budget.

Solihull Council will make payments directly to you so that you can buy the care and support you need, rather than the Council arranging it for you.

Direct payments are flexible. You can choose the services you want, if you are able to show how they meet your assessed needs.

Can I get direct payments?

If we have agreed in an assessment that you are eligible for social care support, and you meet the financial criteria, then you should be able to have direct payments.

You can use our online contribution calculator to see if you’re likely to be financially eligible.

What can I use direct payments for?

You can use direct payments to pay for help you need, based on your care plan. For example, you could:

  • employ someone to provide care for you
  • attend day opportunities, lunch clubs, sports activities or access other community activities
  • give your unpaid carer(s) a break from their caring responsibilities
  • pay for respite care

Read how people are using direct payments in Solihull

Janet’s direct payment enables her to live at home with her family

Janet is an older adult who receives care and support at home. She has a direct payment to arrange her own care, but due to her health and memory difficulties, she finds it hard to manage the payment herself. To help with this, her daughter has been set up as her authorised person. This means her daughter manages the direct payment on Janet’s behalf, ensuring her care needs are met while giving Janet choice and control over who supports her.

With her daughter’s help, Janet uses her direct payment to employ a personal assistant who visits daily to help with personal care, meal preparation, and social interaction. This arrangement has helped Janet stay independent in her own home and maintain a strong relationship with her family and carers.

Amina uses her direct payment for support that respects her cultural and religious needs

Amina is a 45-year-old woman of Pakistani heritage living in Solihull. She has a long-term health condition that affects her mobility and energy levels. Amina wanted support that respected her cultural and religious needs, including having a female personal assistant who understood her dietary requirements and prayer times.

With a direct payment, Amina was able to choose a personal assistant from her local community who speaks Urdu and shares her cultural background. This has made communication easier and helped Amina feel more comfortable and understood in her daily care.

Her personal assistant supports her with household tasks, attending medical appointments, and accessing community activities, including her local women’s group at the mosque. Amina says the direct payment has given her “freedom, dignity, and the right support that fits my life.”

Michael’s direct payment enables him to receive the care and social interaction he needs

Michael receives a direct payment and his wife manages the account. He is anxious and won’t accept support from a formal care service. Using his direct payment he has employed a personal assistant enabling him to receive the care support he needs at home and to access his local community. Michael’s personal assistant also supports him to go shopping, use the local library and have lunch out.

Pamela’s direct payment enables her to interact socially and access her local community safely

Pamela receives a direct payment and manages her own account with support from a company which advises her on payroll.  She has mobility difficulties which impacts her ability to access community activities. Pamela employs a personal assistant to support her to go to luncheon clubs and to the leisure centre for a swim, which helps her to maintain her mobility.

Nigel uses a carers’ one-off direct payment to maintain his mental health and wellbeing

Nigel receives a carers’ one-off direct payment. He visits his mother every day to provide support in addition to the support they are receiving from formal carers who visit his mother’s home. Nigel uses his carers’ one-off payment to buy a yearly gym membership.

How to apply for a direct payment

Step 1: contact Adult Social Care

Please contact our Adult Social Care team and talk to one of our advisers.  You can:

Or if you prefer, you can complete an online self-assessment.

Step 2: initial assessment

If you haven’t completed an online self-assessment, we will carry out an initial assessment of your needs. This is a conversation with you to establish if a full care act assessment is needed.

Step 3: Care Act assessment

A social care practitioner will complete a full Care Act assessment with you to see if you are eligible for adult social care services.

Step 4: Financial assessment

A financial assessment helps us to work out how much you can afford to pay towards the cost of your care and support.

Step 5: Care and support planning conversation

If you are eligible for adult social care, we will have a care and support planning conversation with you to identify how to best to meet your needs and outcomes. At this point we will explore direct payments as a possible option to meet some or all of your required outcomes.