FAQs
Why choose Direct Payments?
Direct Payment is designed to promote independence, wellbeing and choice
Direct Payments allows you more flexibility and control over how your Care and Support Plan is met. You can choose your own Private Carer or Care Agency and arrange with them how and when your care is delivered.
How can I apply for a Direct Payment?
Once your Care and Support Plan has been agreed and approved, your social worker can discuss options available to you. If you choose to manage your own Personal Budget, you will be asked to sign a Personal Budget Agreement or Direct Payment Agreement with the council. Your Care and Support plan will be reviewed regularly. If your care needs change you can contact us any time for a review.
How payments are made
To receive Direct Payment, you (Citizen/Representative) must open a dedicated bank account. The account must not be used for any other purpose than to receive Direct Payments and to pay for the assessed care needs, as defined in the Care and Support Plan, and to pay the assessed personal contribution.
Do I need to pay towards my Personal Budget/Direct Payment?
A financial assessment is carried out for all adults (18+). Based on this assessment you will either pay for your care in full, pay for it in part, or have your care paid for by the council. Please check the financial assessment outcome letter sent to you or speak to your allocated social worker/Financial Assessment and Monitoring team.
Monitoring / audit of the Direct Payment used
The account will be monitored by the London Borough of Harrow. This is to ensure it is being used appropriately for Direct Payments only and as set out in the Care & Support Plan.
This will be done periodically (at least once every year) and it may be completed before any payment for the following year be considered. You may be asked to repay to us any amount of funding for which you cannot produce evidence of appropriate and agreed use.
It is very important that you keep all evidence of use of the Direct Payments.
The payments received must be used as set out in the Care and Support plan. The tables below set out what your Direct Payment can and cannot be used for. Or alternatively please speak to your social worker or Direct Payment team for further details:
| What Directs Payment can be used for | What Direct Payments cannot be used for |
|---|---|
| To employ your own personal assistant or carer. | Anything which is not detailed in your Care and Support plan or agreed upfront |
| To select a care agency of your own choice | Any cash purchases including cash payments to carer/care agency (no cash withdrawals at all) |
| Carers respite / short breaks for up to 4 weeks per year | To employ a spouse, partner, or other close relative, if that person lives in the same household as the person receiving the care |
| Day centre/leisure activities | To fund personal daily living costs, debt repayment, investments, gambling or for any illegal purpose |
| Anything agreed and approved in care and support plan | For cleaning, shopping or domestic tasks |
| Permanent residential care | |
| To pay assessed personal contribution (please visit financial assessment page for further details) (***insert link here) | |
| To purchase any equipment or health product including toiletries, pads, cosmetics, creams or groceries etc even if it is required for personal care | |
| Any property adaptation | |
| To pay for funeral or any unauthorised costs | |
| Tuition for educational/academic purposes including online learning | |
| Toys or computer equipment |