From the section: Paying for care
If you are eligible for support from adult social care, we may be able to provide our contribution to your care through a direct payment.
We make payments directly to you, so you can arrange your own care and choose the services you want.
To see how much you may be entitled to, you can use our online contribution calculator.
If you already receive direct payments and want help managing them, visit our managing your direct payments page.
You can use direct payments to pay for the care and support highlighted in your care plan. This could include:
To see if you are eligible for support, you can complete an initial online self-assessment.
If you would prefer to speak to someone about your assessment, you can contact us by:
If your initial assessment shows you could be eligible for adult social care, we will contact you to complete a full assessment.
You will need to complete a financial assessment to see if you can get help to pay for your care and support.
We will have a conversation with you about care and support planning to identify how to best meet your needs.
We will also check if you could be suitable for direct payments.
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:
This arrangement has helped Janet stay independent in her own home and maintain a strong relationship with her family and carers.
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 with:
Amina says the direct payment has given her “freedom, dignity, and the right support that fits my life.”
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 he needs at home and to access his local community. Michael’s personal assistant also supports him with:
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 the leisure centre for a swim, which helps her to maintain her mobility.
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.