Direct payments

Care Act 2014

Direct payments

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The Care Act 2014

Direct Payments

Regulations

Health and Social

Care Act

Direct Payments

Act

Care and support planning

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Making direct payments available

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The availability of direct payments should be included in the local

information and advice service, and set out:

What direct payments are How to request one including the use of nominated and

authorised persons to manage the payment Explanation of the direct payment agreement The responsibilities involved in managing a direct payment Making arrangements with social care providers Signposting to local organisations that can help

anyone who agrees to manage a direct payment on behalf of the person with care needs

someone who agrees to manage a direct payment for a person who lacks capacity

Considering the request for a direct payment

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Things to

consider

Appropriate

Management

Support

A specialist assessor

Quickly

Interim arrangements

Use of a direct payment

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Flexibly and innovatively -

no unreasonable

restrictions

Pre-payment cards

Paying family members to manage the

DP

Short-term care in a care

home

Non-residential

care in a care home

Services from ‘another’

local authority

Becoming an employer

Discontinuing direct payments

A recipient of direct payments may decide at any time that they no longer wish to continue receiving them

Direct payments should only be terminated by the local authority as a last resort

The local authority must ensure there is no gap in the provision of care support, and revise the plan

Where someone with capacity loses that capacity to consent, the local authority should discontinue direct payments to that person and consider making payments to an authorised person instead

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