Direct payments

What a direct payment is

You can choose to have your personal budget paid to you from the council as a 'direct payment'. You must use the direct payment to pay for your care and support. Direct payments can either be paid to you, or you can nominate someone to manage your direct payments for you.

You will be responsible for arranging and buying your care and support. Direct payments give you flexibility in the care and support services you choose.

Watch the video below for an overview on personal budgets and direct payments:

You can contact our Direct Payments Team for advice and guidance.

What you can use your direct payment for

You need to use your direct payment to pay for the care and support agreed in your care and support plan. 

For example, you may use direct payments to fund:

• services from a care agency (you can find agencies in the Berkshire Care Directory [3MB]  and on our West Berkshire Directory)
• a personal assistant
• day activities, as long as they meet outcomes agreed in your support plan
• replacement care, as long as they meet outcomes agreed in your support plan

You cannot use direct payments for:

• permanent residential care
• NHS provided services
• housing services
• equipment provided by the council
• living costs, bills or rent
   

Employing a personal assistant

If you use your direct payment to employ a personal assistant, you will have additional responsibilities as an Employer.

The Direct Payments Team can give guidance with this including:

• recruitment, including job adverts and descriptions
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
• Employers / Public Liability Insurance
• Contracts of Employment
• access to a payroll provider
• access to training

Email our Direct Payments Team for advice. You can also read section 5.2 of our  Direct Payment agreement form [313KB] .

You can find a simple guide to employing a private carer on the Money Helper website. You can find more detailed guidance in the Skills for Care employing personal assistants toolkit.

Nominating someone else to manage your direct payments

If you can't manage your direct payments, you can nominate someone to do this for you. The nominated person must:

• work in your best interests
• sign the Direct Payment Agreement
• not personally profit from the direct payment

Alternatively, you can use the council's Managed Account Service if you are unable or prefer not to deal with the financial aspects of the direct payment. You can find information about this service below.

Receiving your direct payments

Direct payments can only be paid into a separate Epayment or bank account.

You have three options:

• we can set you up with an Epayment account
• you can open up your own bank account (this needs to be separate from your everyday bank account)
• you can use the council Managed Account Service

Epayment account

When you've signed the  Direct Payment agreement [313KB]  can set you up with an Epayment account. An Epayment account is an online bank account with a card. 

Find further information about Epayment accounts here.

Separate bank account

You can open up your own bank account, but it needs to be separate from your everyday bank account. If you do use your own separate bank account, you will need to send us bank statements every month. This is so we can keep track of your account.
 

West Berkshire managed account service

If you are unable to manage the financial aspects of direct payments, you can use the council's managed account service. You will still have overall control of the budget and how it is spent, but the council will handle the financial administration.

If you would like to use the managed account service, contact the Direct Payments Team.

What happens next (monitoring and review process)

As part of the terms and conditions of the direct payment scheme, the Direct Payments Team will monitor and review your account. We will undertake regular audits and reviews. The reviews make sure that funds are used correctly and your needs are being met.

If you use your own separate bank account, you will need to send in financial returns and a copy of your bank statement every month. We can also request to see copies of the bank statements at any time

If you use an Epayment account, we can review your account at any point. We can also request copies of all financial records relating to your direct payment, including receipts and invoices.

If a review identifies any extra funds in your account, West Berkshire Council will claim this back (unless agreement has been made to retain the money). West Berkshire Council will allow up to eight weeks of payments to be kept in the account to cover any additional costs that may be incurred.