What is a Direct Payment?

A Direct Payment is money that may be given to you by your social services department to buy the support you need to care for the person you looking after.

You can request a Direct Payment by contacting social services and asking for a carer's assessment. A social worker will then visit you to discuss with you what support you need.

You may decide that social services can provide some or all the support you've been assessed as needing. But if the support they offer is not right for your needs, you can ask for Direct Payments so that you can buy it yourself.

Please note that Direct Payments can only be spent on getting the support you have been assessed as needing.

This document was provided by Carers UK. www.carersonline.org.uk