Personal budgets and direct payments

You may keep hearing people talking about ‘personalisation’. This is because councils are trying to make sure the help, they provide is right for each person who needs it. Personalisation means giving someone more control over what social care services they receive so that their needs can be better met. Personal budgets and direct payments are a way of making this easier.

What is a personal budget?

A personal budget is the amount of money that will it will cost to fund your care and support. You should be aware that you are not automatically entitled to receive the whole amount of the personal budget from your adult social care team. The amount you get will depend on your financial assessment. You might not receive any financial assistance from the council at all.

The personal budget must be spent in line with your care and support plan. You may also choose to pay for additional support on top of the budget.