Personal Budgets and Direct Payments

If your child has an EHC plan, then you have the right to request a Personal Budget.

A Personal Budget

• Allows you to control some of the money allocated to your child for the support set out in their EHC plan
• Is an amount of money identified by a Local Authority (LA) or an NHS body to deliver the agreed provision. Its purpose is to give children and young people with disabilities, and their families more choice and control over how their needs are met
• Shows you what money is available for your child’s needs. You may be able to receive some or all of this money as a direct payment (cash payment) to buy and manage the services yourself.

If your child has been assessed as needing a social care service, such as short breaks, you have the right to request a direct payment instead. You can then use the money to make your own arrangements, for example by employing a carer/personal assistant to look after your child in your home. To request a direct payment, speak to your social worker or contact your local authority’s children with disabilities team. 

If your child is eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, they have the right to a personal health budget. Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG’s) also have the power to offer personal health budgets to other groups of patients if they think they will benefit. 

If you are a working parent of a child or young person with a disability, you may be able to get direct payments to cover the additional element of childcare. 

If you need help with recruiting a Personal Assistant (PA): 

• Your Local Offer should have a PA register which aims to bring together PAs looking for work, and people looking for PAs. For a small fee, you can search a database of PA profiles available for work in your area and post your own advert. 
• Not-for-profit organisations are listed on your Local Offer, which will recruit, train and supervise PAs. They also offer payroll services to families wishing to employ a PA. 

Personal budgets are not available in Wales. Direct payments are available to meet the care and support needs of a child and to meet the support needs of a carer. See here for further information. 

Direct payments are widely available in Northern Ireland for both adults and children. See here for more information  

Further Reading: 

Contact have helpful information on personal budgets