self-directed support (formerly direct payments)

A question about : self-directed support (formerly direct payments)

after searching around i am still confused about who is likely to be allowed self-directed support (direct payments).

I have a wheelchair bound friend with ms who needs home helps etc. who was told by her social worker that it was not for her. she couldn't tell me why though.

does anyone here recieved direct payments or know enough to enlighten me?

Best answers:

• Direct payments are paid where certain care services are necessary to enable people to live as independant a life as possible. Simply being in a wheelchair is no guarantee of receiving any money (sorry). Each County Council will have it's own criteria for assessing whether someone should get direct payments, these factors may include; income, savings, required services, ability, existing support arrangements, particular needs.
  After looking into this with my own County Council I wasn't deemed suitable either (I'm registered blind), but their literature did include a case study about direct payments that cited a wheelchair bound person with MS.
  Sorry can't find the link to the PDF, but this might be a good start.
  https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/conten...id=-1011267880
• Hello i am in receipt of Direct Payments and was originally offered them in 2003(Nottingham City ) however at the time DPs were only offered to people who were deemed (by the authorities) to be able to handle and manage their own finances to pay for there care.
  After being assessed both physically and financially then individuals were offered an amount of money to cover the employment of their own staff.Unfortunately if you were deemed unable to look after your own care and finances then you were left in the hands of traditional services offered by the social services.
  The government is now promoting individual budgets and self directed support for the future of providing the finances and services that people require to live independently and because DPs are the beginnings of individual budgets then local authorities are promoting the use of them for all.
  However because any services offered are regionally different then individual budgets and self directed support are left with each one separately however all councils should be looking to start self directed support as from next year and the full service offered from 2010
  hope this helps clear any questions you have but i am only to ready to offer any further information with regards the future of care at home
• Getting these payments isn't about your ability or disability. Potentially anyone with any disability who meets the criteria can get them.
  Deafblind folk with wanting to know about these payments might want to read this info from Sense:
  https://www.sense.org.uk/publications...factsheets.htm
  Folk with Alzheimers, or their carers, might want to read this one:
  http:/www.alzheimers.org.uk/factsheet/473
  If you have MS you should ask the MS Society for further info. Their website has shed-loads of info about the payments on it:
  https://www.mssociety.org.uk/