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What social care direct payments are
Direct payment is money given to those who have been assessed as needing help from adult or children's social care.
This payment gives independence and control by allowing people to arrange their own care and support according to their specific needs.
This is instead of us arranging all or some of their support for them.
What direct payments can be used for
Direct payments can be used to buy either all the support that a person has been assessed as needing, or just part of that support. This could include:
- personal care and assistance to help you live in your own home
- respite care
- support to access community, social and leisure activities
- support for carers
- care equipment.
You cannot use direct payments for things like:
- gambling
- employing relatives who live in the same household
- long term residential care (can be used for short term)
- buying alcohol or tobacco
- health services as they're provided by the NHS
- repaying a debt.
Employing personal assistants
You can use your direct payment to employ a personal assistant (PA) to help you with meeting your needs.
Employing a PA means that you:
- get choice and control over who provides care and how this is provided
- can employ someone you already know
- will have the responsibilities of an employer
- can build a long term relationship.
For more information and support with recruiting PAs and self-employed PAs, you can talk to the Self-Directed Support Team.
If you're looking to register as a PA, visit our personal assistants page.
Paying for agencies or support providers
We can also arrange meetings with agencies and other support providers of your choice.
Using a service provider or an agency means:
- you might have less of a choice of who might support you and time of care
- they could be more expensive than having a PA
- you have no responsibilities of being an employer
- you do not need to worry about covering holidays
- there is no staff consistency.
Search agencies or support providers in Medway on Kent Connect to Support.
You can also email sdsadmin@medway.gov.uk for a list of agencies or support providers.
Other types of support
You may choose to use direct payments for other types of personalised support.
This would be specific to the outcomes set out in your support plan and agreed on as part of the support planning process.
How to get direct payments
Find out more about whether you're eligible and how to get direct payments.