Services
Social work - direct payments
Direct Payments can be made to the person who needs a service to give them greater control over the care they receive.
You may be able to get a Direct Payment if:
- you are a disabled person aged 18 or over and you are eligible for community care services
- you are aged 65 or over and are eligible for community care services due to age or infirmity
- you are a 16 or 17 year old or a disabled parent and you are eligible for children's services
You may be able to manage a Direct Payment on behalf of another person if:
- you are a parent or a person with parental responsibility for a disabled child and the disabled child is eligible for children's services
- you are an attorney or guardian with the relevant powers to act on behalf of a disabled adult who is unable to give consent to arranging their own services
If you think you are eligible for a Direct Payment, you must first apply by contacting the relevant Social Work team, Local Area Co-ordination team or Supporting People Team. A member of the team will carry out an assessment of your needs and if you are eligible for a service. They will work with you to develop a plan of how you will meet your care needs (this is called a 'care plan'). You will also be given a copy of the Scottish Executive booklet 'A Guide To Receiving Direct Payments in Scotland' (see link in the Related Links section at the right of this page).
Your Direct Payment will be based on the amount of support that you need as shown in your care plan. We will give you information to help you decide how your needs are best met, e.g. you may want to pay a care agency or to employ personal assistants yourself, or a mixture of both. You will be given enough money to pay for the services that you have been assessed as requiring. You can only use your Direct Paymnent money to buy care to meet your needs as set out in your care plan - you are not allowed to use it for anything else.
