Personal budgets
Personal budgets are all about giving you control. They are sometimes called self-directed care or individual budgets.
With a personal budget you will be at the heart of the assessment and decision making process for your support needs. You will have more freedom and flexibility to decide how to meet your needs. You can write your own support plan, giving you more opportunity to expand the ways of meeting your individual needs.
This is a new way of supporting people who need social services and as we learn, we will update these pages.
Guiding principles
We cannot draw up a complete list of things that you can or can't spend your personal budget on. Everything must be decided on a case by case basis based on the following key principles:
You must be able to show how the service, activity or item you want
- is clearly linked back to your Individual Budget Support Plan and the positive outcomes in this
- will improve your life
- will keep you healthy, safe and well
- is a reasonable cost and in proportion to your personal budget allocation
Rules about spending your individual budget
- You can't spend on anything that exposes you to serious physical or financial risk
- You can't spend on anything illegal or on gambling
- If you are living in a supported tenancy where the support is part of the tenancy agreement, then you can't use your Individual Budget to pay for this support.
- There are also a number of legal restrictions which are relevant:
- You can't use Direct Payments to pay a family member living with you, unless it is in your best interests. However, if the family member doesn't live with you, this is OK.
- NHS health funding is not included within your personal budget unless the care or support is arranged by us under jointly funded arrangements. Your social worker or care coordinator can advise you about this.
Some examples of how funding can be spent
The following are some examples of how some people have used their Individual Budgets allocation.
On-going support to help individuals stay independent in the home
- Employing a personal assistant and the stationary and equipment to help that employment (a fax machine, pay-slips etc.)
- Paying expenses for unpaid helpers
- Buying or renting assistive technology equipment such as talking microwaves, communications aids, falls sensors and accessible computers.
On-going support as an alternative to day care provision
- Paying for support for further education like a computer or a typing course
- Help with going swimming, using gyms, libraries etc.
- Help getting to church, synagogue, mosque, temple or other religious places
- Help with doing voluntary work.
One-off activities that help your social life or to provide a break for a carer
- Help with going on holiday
- Going to sporting events, concerts etc.
- Going on day trips out of Salford such as trips on the tram to Manchester or other towns
- Driving lessons.
If you are buying personal care, then this should be from a registered (with the CSCI) domiciliary care agency.
Remember, you must be able to show how these activities will improve your life - it's up to you how much control you have and you can be as creative as possible in meeting your needs.
Get more ideas from:
This information was adapted from an original document from Leicester City Council.
This page was last updated on 03 November 2008
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