Direct Payments

4. Managing your Direct Payment

You or your representative are responsible for managing the money you receive.

You will be required to:

  • Keep basic financial records
  • Return any money to us that you do not spend on your care.

Bank account

You will need to arrange a separate bank account for your Direct Payment to be paid into.

This will enable you to keep your personal money separate from the money we pay to you.

It will also make it easier for you to manage your money and for us to monitor your spend.

The bank should be notified that the money in this account does not form part of your personal wealth or estate and remains the property of the Council.

Changing bank account

If you change your account, you will need to let us know by filling in another bank details form.

Please contact us for a form.

Keeping records

You will need to keep a record of all the payments, in and out of your bank account, as well as:

  • Bank statements
  • Receipts
  • Payslips
  • Cheque book
  • Invoices
  • Timesheets for your Personal Assistant

These records will be able to show us how you have spent your Direct Payment. It will also help you to see if you are spending too little or too much.

When you receive your bank statement you can check if this agrees with your records.

Audit

We will ask to see the records at any review or audit of your account.

After our first visit, we will normally arrange to visit you after three months to check that you are spending the money correctly and keeping the records to show this.

After this, we would normally ask to see your records annually.

How long do you need to keep the records?

You will need to keep records for two full tax years.

If you employ a Personal Assistant you will need to keep records for the last six years.

Please talk to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for more information.

Individual employer funding

If you employ your own care and support through a personal budget from social care or health (personal health budget) or using your own money (self-funder), you can apply for funding to train you and your personal assistants (PAs).

The fund can be used for training to develop you as an employer and/or to develop the skills of your PA.

The funding could also be used to cover the direct costs of training and qualifications, travel, and the cost of hiring replacement support whilst your usual PA is attending the training.