Direct Payments to Carers

As a result of The Carers and Disabled Children's Act Local Authorities can now offer Direct Payments to:

• parents of children with disabilities for services for their children
• 16 and 17 year old disabled young people in their own right
• carers aged 16 or over for carers services

Direct Payments to Carers are a cash payment given to people by Social Care instead of  services arranged by the Local Authority. The aim is to give you more choice and control and flexibility over your life. The money is not extra income. It is not an extra benefit and it will not be taken into account as income for other benefits. Carers can use Direct Payments for Carers to buy in carers services that have been agreed as being needed through a Carers Assessment. The Direct Payment is to address your needs as a carer which may be  recreational, a holiday for you or your family, help with the cost of training or purchase of equipment. A Carers Direct Payment is not for services for the person you are caring for.

(notes : residential or nursing home placements are services for users and may not be purchased with this money. Direct payments for service users are made from team budgetsA Carers Service excludes anything where “intimate personal care” is provided to the disabled person)