You can use your direct payment funds to meet your desired outcomes, as directed in your support plan, in the following ways:
- Employ personal assistants
- Arrange care via an Agency
- Purchase equipment – if this cannot be met by core services.
- Community Activities
- Respite or short breaks.
This list is not exhaustive so please speak to the Direct Payment Team if you wish to be more creative in meeting your outcomes.
Restrictions
There are some restrictions on how you use the money. You can’t use your direct payments for things such as:
- Anything that does not help to meet the outcomes set out in the plan
- Anything that makes life worse for the person or places them at intolerable risk
- Health care, education, housing costs, or household bills
- Permanent residential care (although you can use them for respite or short-term breaks if this is part of your support plan)
- Employing your relatives (if they live with you), or anyone else who would normally live in your household
- Anything illegal, including paying people cash in hand, or the purchase of illicit drugs
- Gambling or the purchase of alcohol and tobacco
- Any services provided directly by the local authority.