Your care and support plan
Your care and support plan sets out how your needs will be met.
It considers:
- what needs you have
- what you want to achieve
- what you can do by yourself, or with the support you already have
- what types of care and support might be available to help you in the local area
We will design your plan with you, and with others you want to involve such as a carer or a family member.
Personal budgets
As part of the planning process, we will talk to you about your personal budget. This is the sum we have assessed that will cover your care and support.
Your personal budget will include our contribution towards those costs. This could range from all to none of the total.
By seeing how much money is available in your personal budget, you can decide how much control you want to have over arranging your care and support.
Using this information, you may ask us for a direct payment so you can arrange your own care.
Direct payments
A direct payment is a payment of money from us to your personal budget. We can pay it to you or to someone acting on your behalf.
Instead of arranging services for you, a direct payment can help you take full control over your own care.
If you don’t think you’ll be able to manage, you can always nominate someone else to manage your payments for you.
You do not have to do this and you may ask us to arrange support for you.
Direct payment eligibility
If we have assessed that you need help from social care, you have the right to be considered for a direct payment. This includes:
- carers
- older people
- parents of a child with a disability
- people with a disability aged 16 and over
- people with mental health needs
- people with learning disabilities
If there is a reason we can’t offer you a direct payment, we’ll tell you.
Calculating your direct payment
The amount of money you get will depend on the level of support you need.
It will not differ if you decide to choose a direct payment.
Direct payments are not treated as income, so are not taxable. For this reason they do not affect any benefits you may receive.
More information
For more information about direct payments, contact us or visit the Department of Health website.