Welcome to www.CompassDisabilty.org.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Can I have a Direct Payment plus my benefits?

Answer: Yes. A Direct Payment is not a benefit. The amount of money you receive as a Direct Payment must be equivalent to the amount that Social Services would spend providing care to you directly. Therefore, a Direct Payment is money in lieu of services and cannot be treated as a benefit.

Question: Could a Direct Payment affect my benefits in any way?

Answer: No. Because a Direct Payment is money in lieu of services it is not treated as income by the benefits agency, therefore your benefits will not be reduced.

However, if you use a Direct Payment to buy respite care there is a limit to the number of days respite care you can buy before certain benefits are affected. If you receive 28 days respite care you must leave a gap of 29 days before arranging more care. If you fail to do this, your benefits could be reduced. This rule applies to 28 consecutive days and 28 days spread over a period of time and is relevant whether you receive direct services or whether you use a Direct Payment. Your Social Worker will explain this to you if you ask them.

Question: Can I receive money from the Independent Living Fund (ILF) and a Direct Payment?

Answer: Yes. You can receive both.

Question: Can I trial a Direct Payment for a short period of time to see if I like it?

Answer: Yes. You can ask your Social Worker to set up your Direct Payment for a trial period and arrange for a review just before the trial period expires.

Question: Can I have a Direct Payment and receive some of my care directly from Social Services?

Answer: Yes. You can have both. If you are unsure about whether or not a Direct Payment will suit you it is a good idea to make gradual changes to how your care is provided. Mixing a Direct Payment with direct care from Social Services is a good way to see if a Direct Payment will suit you. You can, over time, increase the number of hours you use a Direct Payment for until all your needs are met using the Direct Payment.

Question: Can I stop a Direct Payment at any time?

Answer: Yes. You can stop a Direct Payment if you find it does not suit you. You will usually be asked to give County Hall four weeks notice of your wish to terminate the Direct Payment agreement.

Question: Will my Direct Payment cover all my assessed care needs?

Answer: Not necessarily. Each potential Direct Payment user will need to have a financial assessment to establish how much, if any, your contribution to your care package should be. This happens with direct services too, and will be at the same level. Your contribution will be notified to you in the Letter of Agreement you receive from Wiltshire County Council. You will need to pay this amount from your private bank account each month. There is no user contribution for leisure opportunity payments.

Question: What if I don't spend all the money allocated to me in one month?

Answer: At the discretion of your Care Manager you are allowed to build up surplus money equivalent to 20% of the annual Direct Payment for personal and domiciliary care only, to allow for emergencies in the forthcoming year. However too much surplus would need to be returned to Social Services.

Question: If I use a Direct Payment for period of time but then decide to stop it, will I still be entitled to have my needs met directly by Social Services again?

Answer: Choosing a Direct Payment will not jeopardise your entitlement to receive direct services once again. By law, Social Services have a duty to provide services to someone who has been assessed as needing help. A Direct Payment is just another option to give service users more choice, control and independence.

Question: What happens if my personal assistant is sick or on holiday?

Answer: You will need to discuss this with your Social Worker and your Direct Payment Advisor at WDPSS before a Direct Payment is set up. Normally you will need to budget the amount of money you receive monthly to cover holidays, including bank holidays. For example, you may receive £12.30 per hour to pay for a personal assistant and to cover the Employers National Insurance. The normal wage for a PA would be much lower than this and you can therefore budget to save a little to pay another person when a PA is on holiday or in case they are sick. The Contract Of Employment will need to be clear about how much sick pay your personal assistant is entitled to. You do not have to pay more than the statutory sick pay and you may be able to reclaim statutory sick pay from the Inland Revenue. The Direct Payment Advisor will discuss this with you and give you examples of the arrangements made by other people. They will help you calculate how much you should save.

Question: What happens if I make a mistake when completing the forms?

Answer: There is no need to worry if you make a mistake with the forms. The Direct Payment Finance Officer recognises that errors may happen. They will work with you, your Social Worker and your Direct Payment Advisor at WDPSS to resolve any problems. They will only take action if you are deliberately misusing your Direct Payments.