What are direct payments
- You can choose to get money to buy the help you need instead of having it organised by us. This money is given to you in the form of payments paid directly into a bank account.
- You can also get direct payments in your own right if you are a disabled young person aged 16 and over and if you are able to manage your payments alone or with help.
- You'll need to open a separate bank account for the direct payments. This must be kept separate from your personal bank account and you must provide bank statements to us when we ask for them.
- You can add your own money to this account if you want to buy additional services.
- We will pay your direct payment into this bank account every 28 days.
Who can get direct payments
- You and the disabled child or young person must live in Leicestershire
- You must have an assessment of your needs and the child or young person’s needs completed by a social care worker
- You must be able to manage a direct payment with or without help
- You are a parent or carer of a disabled child or young person
- You are a disabled young person aged 16 and over living in Leicestershire. You have had an assessment of your needs done by a social care worker and you are able to manage direct payments on your own or with help.
How you can use direct payments
You can use your direct payments for:
- personal care
- overnight or daytime short breaks
- support to access leisure or community activities
- a combination of these
What you can't use your direct payments for:
- buying services from us or any other local authority
- employing someone who lives with you
- paying for health care services including equipment that the NHS provides - for example vaccination or immunisation, health screening, NHS health checks, as well as services that are provided by your GP, prescriptions and dental charges
-
equipment and adaptations available through the Disabled Facilities Grant
- long-term residential care
- residential education
- any services that are not part of your child’s assessed needs
- household expenses
- paying for childcare, so a parent or carer can work
Your responsibilities as an employer
If you use your direct payments to employ a personal assistant (PA) to meet the needs of your child, you’ll have certain responsibilities for anyone you employ.
You’ll be given advice from a children’s direct payment adviser with this.
This will include:
- accessing advice on tax and national insurance
- help with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
- as well as other issues to help you manage your responsibilities as an employer
Find out more about:
- workplace pension contributions
- your responsibilities when you employ someone in your own home
- recruiting and employing a personal assistant
- tax and paying a personal assistant
How to get a direct payment
If your child is already getting help from us and you’d like to change to direct payments, speak to your child’s social worker.