What are Direct Payments 

Direct Payment are funds provided by your local authority to individuals who have been assessed as needing care and support, as an alternative to the local authority arranging these services directly. This will allow you the flexibility to tailor your own care and support

Who uses Direct Payments? 

Many people use direct payments to hire personal assistants, giving them greater control and flexibility. If you need help managing funds, support is available — Money Carer has over 15 years of experience in this area. 

How does it work? 

You’ll need to record how the money is spent, with local authorities reviewing this periodically. Direct payments are available across the UK for adults with disabilities (including those lacking mental capacity), carers, and families of disabled children. They cannot be used for residential care or services delivered directly by local authorities. 

What are the core features of our Direct Payments service?

Document Sharing, Secure & Instant

Securely store and share files, letters, or statements 

Budget Integration 

Enables budget monitoring that’s tailored to the care plan requirements

Payroll 

Managed and Self-Managed options available depending on client requirements

Invoice Wizard 

Automates invoice processing, reducing manual input and errors

Bulk Payments

Make bulk payments to multiple clients or carers in one go 

Information, Advice & Guidance

Providing practical guidance to help you make the most of your Direct Payment. 

Sweep Technology & Transaction Alerts

Auto-return of unspent funds with suspicious activity alerts 

Secure Portal

Secure, role-based document access for carers and individuals

What are the steps?

Assessment of Care Needs

The first step is to contact your local council for a needs assessment. This will determine whether you qualify for social care. You can find out which is your local council by clicking here

Care Plan Development

A care plan will be created to outline the support you need. If you choose Direct Payments, the plan will detail how the money will be used. 

Receive Payments

Once your Direct Payment is approved, funds are transferred into a secure account. You can then use this money to pay for your agreed care and support, with full visibility and control over how it is managed.

Manage your Care

You can hire a care provider or personal assistant, and you are responsible for ensuring they meet your care needs. You’ll also need to keep record of how you spend the funds.

Direct Payments FAQs

When you receive a Direct Payment, it’s your responsibility to make sure there is enough money in your account to cover care costs such as staff wages or agency invoices. You are accountable to your local authority for how the money is used.

Most local authorities require regular financial monitoring. This usually means providing records of income and expenditure, along with copies of your Direct Payment bank statements, typically every three months.

Money Carer can support you with record-keeping and financial reporting to ensure you remain compliant.

Money Carer will help you put a back-up (contingency) plan in place for situations where your PA or care agency cannot provide support. If this happens, your local authority may add extra funds to your account to cover emergency care costs.

Local authorities also have a legal duty of care, which means they must ensure your needs are met — including arranging emergency agency cover if required.

No. A Direct Payment is an alternative to services provided by your local authority. However, you can choose a mixed package of care — for example, receiving some support directly from community care services and using your Direct Payment to arrange the rest. 

To request a Direct Payment, contact your local social services department. They will arrange a community care assessment to review your needs.

Your social worker or care coordinator will guide you through the assessment. Once complete, you can take as much time as you need to decide whether you’d like to receive your care funding as a Direct Payment.

If you choose this option, your social worker or care coordinator will refer you to a Direct Payment support service such as Money Carer. Our team will then arrange a convenient appointment to explain how Direct Payments work, outline your options, and guide you through every step of the process.

It’s natural to feel unsure about becoming an employer, but we’re here to help. Money Carer has years of experience supporting people to live independently and can guide you through every stage of employing staff — from recruitment and contracts to training, payroll, and, if necessary, resolving disputes.

If problems arise, you can also seek free, independent advice from ACAS (Arbitration, Conciliation and Advisory Service) by calling 0845 7474747 or visiting www.acas.org.uk.

We can also provide access to specialist employment indemnity and advice services (note: these are not usually funded from your Direct Payment).

To Qualify for Direct Payments, you must be eligible for social care services provided by your local authority. This envolves:

1. Needs Assessment

Your local council will assess your care needs to determine if you require support with daily tasks such as personal care, mobility, and household tasks.

2. Financial Assessment

A financial assessment will check if you qualify for financial support and how much you might need to contribute toward your care.

If you meet the eligibility criteria and are capable of managing your own care (or appoint someone to do so), you can apply for Direct Payments.

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