You are here: Home: Health and social care: Older people: Direct payments

Direct payments

Instead of providing Community Care Services such as Home Care, Social Services - Adult Care Services can offer some people a cash payment to enable them to arrange for the services they need. The cash payment must be used to arrange services to meet the individual’s needs as identified by the Community Care Assessment .

Direct Payments give you more choice and control in the way your care is provided. You can:

• Decide how your needs will be met;
• Decide whom you would like to provide the services (except for close relatives living in the same household);
• Arrange the services at the times that suit you.

People who can receive Direct Payments

• People who are over 18 years who are assessed as requiring Community Care services;
• Disabled children aged 16-17;
• Parent carers
• Carers.

How the scheme works

First, an assessment of needs has to be made. A Social Care Assessor will help you decide on the services that you require. The Social Care Assessor can then arrange for the services to be provided or request a Direct Payment so you can arrange your own services.

To help you arrange for your own services, Calderdale has a Direct Payments Team available to provide various levels of support, including::

• Employment advice – advice and support on all aspects of employment including recruitment, contracts, wages, tax and national insurance, insurance, disciplinary matters and dismissal;
• Support to recruit staff;
• Access to a payroll service – providing computerised calculations of PAYE and national insurance for staff, production of wage slips and full records of wages, tax and national insurance;
• Advice and training on the audit process for Direct Payments.

The Social Care Assessor will make a referral to the support service if you express interest in moving onto Direct Payments.

Sorting out the money

• The amount of Direct Payment paid depends on the services the individual is assessed as requiring.
• Social Services will pay a rate per hour based on the number of hours of need identified in the care plan.
• Payments will be made into your Direct Payment account every four weeks.

Further information

The Social Care Assessor will be able to provide a copy of the booklet “A Guide to Receiving Direct Payments” which provides more information on Direct Payments.  Contact Social Services - Adult Care to find out more.

back to top