Direct Payments FAQ

What is a Direct Payment?

A Direct Payment is money for care provided by the council in lieu of social service provision (i.e. instead of the council providing care, you receive the money directly to buy in your own care).

How soon will I start to receive my Direct Payment after I have been assessed?

Once you have been assessed as needing care, you will only start to receive your Direct Payment from the date that your Personal Assistant (PA) starts employment. Once you have an PA in place, you should notify the Direct Payment Officer at Hillingdon Council who can then make provision for you to receive your payment so that you can pay for the care that you have been receiving. The Council will be able to supply interim care whilst you find a personal assistant.

What paperwork do I need to keep in relation to my Direct Payment?

The paperwork that you will need to keep in relation to your Direct Payment is fairly simple. This will include:

Timesheets (that a personal assistant will sign weekly/monthly)
Any receipts for expenses, bank statements, cheque stubs etc.
Correspondence from the council e.g. Quarterly Monitoring Form
Payslips (a copy of which you can keep)

All of the above paperwork is kept so that the council can see that the money is being spent on care. The Quarterly Monitoring Form is sent for you to complete, every three months, so that the Council can monitor how much you are spending, and how much excess you have left.

What happens if I have a build up of money?

You should have a small build up of money from your Direct Payment to cover the cost of any employment contributions (such as tax and National Insurance). The excess will also be used for your PA's pay and holiday pay, as and when this arises. However, if you have a substantial excess then the council may review the amount of money not being spent on care at that particular time. You will be reviewed after the first three months and then again annually.

What if my care needs change?

If your care needs change and you feel you need less or more support you should contact the Social Services Team that you have been allocated to. You should also have an annual review of your care needs, by a Care Manager.

Recruitment

Many people will have a personal assistant in mind before they go onto Direct Payments. However, if you are struggling to find someone to employ for this position, then DASH may be able to help you with recruitment and assist you in setting up interviews. We are not an agency, but will do our best to support you in finding a personal assistant.

Advertising

Should you wish to advertise for a personal assistant, the cost of advertising will be met by the council as this should not detract from the money you receive to pay for your care. DASH will support your efforts to advertise for a personal assistant, although this can often take a while.

Contracts of Employment

We would strongly advise that all Direct Payment clients employing a personal assistant should draw up a contract of agreement between the parties concerned. To help with this, DASH has a standard contract of agreements and polices available to all Direct Payment users.

What if you are having problems with your personal assistant?

Should you be having problems with the person that you employ and feel that you may want to dismiss them, please contact DASH for advice on 020 8848 8319 (leaflet available on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures).

What if I want to employ a relative?

Direct Payments can be used to pay close relatives who do not live in the same household. Only in exceptional circumstances would the council consider paying a relative living in the same household — if the council was satisfied that securing the service from such a person is necessary to satisfactorily meet the individual's needs for that service. This is purely at the council's discretion.

Payroll Services

A Payroll Service will be able to make calculations and fill in the paperwork for you, returning it to you to make payments to your worker and the Inland Revenue. The charge made by a Payroll Service will be paid back to you, in addition to your Direct Payment.

Expenses

There are certain expenses that will be covered by your Direct Payment. Should you buy any stationery equipment to keep your paperwork in order then this can be reimbursed. Also, the Direct Payment will cover the cost of when your PA uses their car whilst working for you (i.e. whilst caring for you — not travelling to and from work) at the rate of 35 pence a mile. You can use your Direct Payment for various expenses, however if you are unsure, please refer to the booklet "A guide to receiving Direct Payments from your local council."

Direct Payments and Healthcare

There are two forms of care available; social care and health care. Social care is provided by social services, in this instance via a Direct Payment. Health care is funded by the local Primary Care Trust and currently Direct Payments cannot be used in conjunction with any health care being received.

What if I go into hospital?

Should you find that whilst receiving your Direct Payment you are taken into hospital, for longer than three weeks, it is agreed that the Care Manager needs to consider whether to temporarily suspend the funding. If your stay in hospital is less than three weeks in duration, then your Direct Payment will be continued although your care needs may be reviewed.

What if I want to stop using Direct Payments?

Should you want to stop using Direct Payments for whatever reason, you should contact either your Care Manager or Social Worker to discuss the alternative options that Social Services can offer you. It is possible however to have a mixture of both Direct Payments and other Social Service provision — please contact your worker at the council for more details.

General Enquiries

Should you have any other queries which are not covered in this fact sheet, please contact the Direct Payment Support team at DASH on 020 8848 8319 and they will be happy to assist.