How Can I Use A Direct Payment

How Can I Use a Direct Payment?

You can use direct payments in different ways.

You could use your direct payment to pay a support worker or personal assistant. They can help you with:

• Jobs around the house so that you can live in your own home.
• They could support you to take a short break. This is sometimes called respite care.
• They can help you do an activity, like going swimming or going to the cinema. This would be instead of going to a day centre.
• They could help you to do a course at college (learning support?)
• Or they could help you to do some work experience.

You cannot use a direct payment to:
Pay for residential care Pay for health services

If you have a direct payment, you have to:

• Spend the money on your assessed needs.
• Make sure social services agree with the services you want to buy.
• Keep a record of how you sped the money you are given. If you employ a personal assistant, they can help you keep the records and manage your direct payment.

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Next:

• How To Get A Direct Payment

See also:

• Read an interview with Chris Passey, who uses Direct payments: Direct Payments Interview
• Advice And Support In Getting And Using Direct Payments
• The Leeds Direct Payments Support Service