What are Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets?

Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets is the funding needed for people to access money from local authorities and organisations to support them with arranging and paying for your social care.

Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets are very similar;

• A Direct Payment allows you full responsibility of your care by either employing a Personal Care Assistant or commissioning services for yourself.
• A Personal Health Budget allows you use it as a Direct Payment or leave councils with the responsibility to commission the services for you; or you can take a combination of the two.

Your social and health care needs are assessed to see if you are eligible for funding. Once set up, the money is paid directly to you so you can organise and manage your own health care and social support.

Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets are available wherever you live in the United Kingdom and are available to adults with disabilities (including those who lack mental capacity), families of children with a disability and carers. However, the support services offered can vary from one local authority area to another.

How can we support you?

At Enham Trust, we aim to make the process as easy as possible for you. We can help you with planning, research and budgeting for your Direct Payments and Personal Health Budget in the following ways:

• Support you to understand what is available and what you may need
• Setting up a Direct Payment or Personal Health Budget
• Helping you to understand how to use the payment and what it can be spent on
• Assist with completing necessary administration and paperwork
• Managing your account
• Help with payroll services including pensions and HMRC obligations
• Finding and recruiting Personal Care Assistants

You will be required to keep a record of how you spend your Direct Payment and your local authority will want to see those records, usually once a quarter.

Managing your account

At Enham Trust, we offer a Managed Account Service, to help you manage your money. A Managed Account is where we hold the Direct Payment money for your social care or as part of your Personal Health Budget, on your behalf, but you will still have responsibility for all your own personal money.

This service is for you if you wish to receive a Direct Payment but where circumstances mean it would be more appropriate for someone else to manage the money. This may be because you find it difficult to manage your money and it would give you peace of mind if someone else worried about the bills.

Enham Trust will ensure your care bills, agency invoices and staff wages are paid correctly and on time. Enham Trust will monitor the account to make sure it doesn't go overdrawn and to highlight any unexpected income or outgoings.

If you want to find out more information specific to your needs, or have any questions, please get in contact with us today.

Ask us a question

Our office locations

IAG Dorset Our advisors work from home so we do not have an address. Telephone: 0845 5040722 Fax: 0845 5040725	IAG Swindon Sanford House, Sanford Street, Swindon, SN1 1QH Telephone: 01264 345862
IAG Somerset Our advisors work from home so we do not have an address. Telephone: 02380 687717 Fax: 0845 5040725	IAG Slough 29 Church Street, Slough, SL1 1PL Telephone: 01264 345829
IAG Plymouth 70 Mutley Plain, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 6LF Telephone: 01752 547255	IAG West Berkshire Our advisors work from home so we do not have an address. Telephone: 01264 345862

Get in touch with us