Direct payments

Direct payments are one way of managing a Personal Budget, which might be allocated to an individual within their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.

You do not have to accept a Direct Payment. You can choose whether this is the right way to manage your child's Personal Budget

Surrey County Council has a Direct Payments Policy for Disabled Children and Young People.

What is a Personal Budget?

A Personal Budget for SEND is money to pay for the support specified in a child or young person's Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. It can include funds from the local authority for education and social care, and from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for health.

There are four ways you can use a Personal Budget.

1. An Arrangement or a Notional Budget, which means that the local authority, school or college looks after the Personal Budget for you.
2. Direct Payment, which means you receive money directly to manage all or part of the Personal Budget yourself.
3. A Third-Party Arrangement, which means that you choose someone else to manage the Personal Budget for you.
4. A mixture of some or all of these arrangements.

Can I receive Direct Payments?

Direct Payments are available to children and young people whose needs have been assessed as meeting the threshold for social care support.

To receive a Direct Payment, first a social worker or family support worker must assess your child or young person's needs. This assessment has to establish that social care support is required.

As part of the assessment process, it may be considered if you're family's need can be met in another way, such as through universal services. It may also be explored whether costs can be met via Disability Living Allowance or through your own income.

If your child has been given an EHC plan with a Personal Budget, you can choose to receive Direct Payments to put in place the support arrangements outlined in the EHC plan. The payment can replace some or all of the services that your social worker or family support workers would otherwise arrange for you.

Direct Payments allow families to organise support that is personalised to the assessed needs of the child or young person, so you can choose the services that work best for your child.

Direct Payments are a choice. You are not obliged to accept one.

What can Direct Payments be used for?

Direct Payments can be used to meet your child's assessed needs.

Here are a few examples of what Direct Payments can be used for.

• Employing someone to help you look after your child; this person is often referred to as a personal assistant.
• To enable your child to join in with activities in the community, such as youth clubs, sports clubs or play schemes.
• To purchase disability living equipment, as agreed by a Surrey County Council occupational therapist.

What can't Direct Payments be used for?

The local authority (Surrey County Council) will set out which elements of support the payments are expected to cover.

Examples of what Direct Payments can't be used for include:

• buying permanent residential care
• any services provided directly by a local authority
• replace NHS Services, housing, Department for Social Security (DSS) benefits or Independent Living Fund payments
• paying for household bills
• anything unlawful

Is the level of direct payment dependent on income?

No. The Direct Payment is based on the child's assessed needs. Children's Services do not assess a family's income to determine the level of their Direct Payment.

How much will I receive?

There is no maximum or minimum level to a Direct Payment, this will depend on your assessed level of need. The Direct Payment must be enough to pay for the support required.

How are payments arranged?

Direct Payments are paid into a bank account which must be used for that purpose alone. You may need to set up a separate account to your existing one. Payments are made on a quarterly basis.

Alternatively, Surrey County Council can arrange for you to have a Pre-paid Account (PPA). A Pre-paid Account is a Direct Payment Bank account opened with third-party organisation by Surrey County Council, which the parents manage.

Do I need to account for how I spend the money?

Yes. Every three months, you will need to give Surrey County Council a report of your spending.

If you decide to use Direct Payments, you must keep proper records of all the payments you make. So keep all receipts safe.

Can I change my mind?

Direct Payments are a choice. You do not have to accept one.

If you want to stop receiving Direct Payments, you can return to receiving services directly from the local authority (Surrey County Council). To do this, you will need to contact your social worker or family support worker.

Where can I seek impartial advice regarding Direct Payments?

• Surrey Independent Living Charity is an independent voluntary organisation working in partnership with Surrey County Council and can offer support and advice with direct payments.
• SEND Advice Surrey offers free, confidential and impartial information, advice and support for young people and parents/carers of children with special educational needs or a disability (SEND) aged 0 to 25.
• Carers UK is a charity set up to help people who care for family or friends. They provide information, support and campaign to make life better for carers.