A personal budget is an amount of money allocated by your Local Authority to meet your care and support needs. They are available for both people with support needs and for carers.
Personal budgets and direct payments give you the freedom and flexibility over how your care and support is arranged and provided to meet your needs. You’ll be in control, so you can make choices about the kinds of support you’d like and who you’d like to be supported by. We’re here to support all your care, leisure, social, cultural and wellbeing needs.
Who can choose to have a personal budget?
An assessment by your Local Authority will identify if you are eligible for support and a personal budget will be set based on your individual needs.
Once an amount of money to meet your care and support needs and a funding method has been agreed, you’ll be supported to develop a care and support plan.
The plan will outline how you’d like to choose to spend the money to meet your support needs.
What are the options for managing a personal budget?
There are several ways you can choose for your personal budget to be managed:
A direct payment – a payment that is made directly to you (or a nominated or authorised person) so you can arrange and pay for support yourself.
A managed account – you choose for your Local Authority to organise your support for you.
A third-party arrangement – you choose an organisation to hold your personal budget and help you decide how to spend it. This includes an Individual Service Fund (ISF) – a budget that a support provider manages on your behalf.
A combination of any of the options above.
You have the right to request a direct payment to meet your eligible needs if you can manage a direct payment alone or with help. An authorised person can manage your direct payment if you lack capacity, however your Local Authority will need to agree that the person will act in your best interests.