Direct Payments (from local councils)

purple12

Andy2481 wrote: »

Hello,

At the moment I live with two mates.

I employ a PA using direct payments and ILF money, but as a back-up, I also employ one of my flatmates for a couple of evenings a week (cooking etc).

In the next month or two, I am moving house to move in with my girlfriend. Can I keep my primary PA on as we are now, but replace my flatmate with my girlfriend? (We will be living together but she is not my fiancee or wife).

What are the Direct Payment and ILF rules regarding girlfriends/boyfriends? It seems ludicrous and unjust if I can't pay her a small proportion of my care money in return for the help she will give me.

Also, will I have to give my current flatmate a P45 when I move out? (He does have another full-time job)

Thank you

The 'rules' are quite flexible and generally don't allow family members who are living in the same household but can make exceptions (I know, for example, that the council that I work for is extremely liberal in interpretation and will basically give direct payments if you can give them a vaguely plausible reason why a family member is the most suitable person, even if they live with you - others interpret things differently).

I can tell you that where I work it would probably be fine for your girlfriend to be paid but it might not be allowed in a neighbouring authority. I don't think it matters if you aren't married or engaged though if there is a relationship there and you are living together, you are living together.. if that makes any sense!

The reasons these rules exist is because the state cannot afford to compensate people who would be informally caring for their partners/parents/children without the direct payment scheme being there as there just isn't enough money in the coffers to do so.

So that's a long way round of saying, I don't know and noone is likely to except your own local authority

I imagine you would have to give your flatmate a P45 as it is a job, like any other but someone else might know more about that than me.