Disabled Child - Direct Payments Query

AlwaysHappy

Not sure if I'm in the right place so apologies if I'm not. My son is 13, has aspergers and dyspraxia and learning difficulties. He goes to a special needs school. The NAS (where he goes to the youthclub) suggested we may qualify for respite as I have M.E and my oh works away at times. At the time I disregarded it as didn't want to go through all the probing etc to be turned down. However, last week a lady came to visit from a new special needs youth club and again suggested respite, to which I said the above, however, she turned it totally on its head and said my son perhaps could do with getting out and away from just Mum and Dad as all he really like is his own company and tolerates our company. She suggested that we might want to explore direct payments with a view to paying someone to take our son out and about, and show him how to live or push his comfort zones. I have tried to contact her since but there wasn't anyone there to help soooo my question after all that is a) does this sound phesible (never heard of direct payments or anything similar before) and b) are they means tested. Obviously we want the best for our son but as I am also not well don't want the upheaval if we are totally wasting our time. Many thanks in advance if anyone can shed any light on this for me.

pigpen

check out HERE

I know people who have used them for all sorts of things very successfully.

AlwaysHappy

Wow, thanks for the quick reply pigpen, will try and give them a ring tomorrow on my day off.

3onitsway

Hi, we've had direct payments in the past, and they can be very useful, if you can find someone to do the caring, and you can be bothered to do the paperwork that goes with them.

You're basically acting as an employer to the carer, and have to keep records, pay insurance (it's reimbursed), provide payslips, pay their NI etc. For the three hours a week we were awarded, it was all a bit of a faff.

We've swapped now to a different support scheme. We get slightly less hours over the year, but the payment is paid direct to an agency, who deal with all the paperwork, and they employ the carer/carers. It is a lot easier, if something similar is available in your area.

Mupette

Social services can kick start this off too.

Be warned of the build up of having this extra money to pay for this... i got told i could have £80 pw to pay for a carer, then had my finances reviewed and was told out of the £40 pw medium rate care from dla i could afford the £80 pw myself...

I had care/help for a month and a half, although a help, i could not afford this myself

AlwaysHappy

Mupette wrote: »

Social services can kick start this off too.

Be warned of the build up of having this extra money to pay for this... i got told i could have £80 pw to pay for a carer, then had my finances reviewed and was told out of the £40 pw medium rate care from dla i could afford the £80 pw myself...

I had care/help for a month and a half, although a help, i could not afford this myself

That was one of the things I was wondering - if its means tested. We get medium rate care on DLA so would probably have to cover the cost ourselves.

JC9297

AlwaysHappy wrote: »

That was one of the things I was wondering - if its means tested. We get medium rate care on DLA so would probably have to cover the cost ourselves.

Our son is in receipt of higher rate, when he was under 18 and came under children's services we got respite care for him and neither his income nor ours was assessed. I can't remember but I assume at some point they asked what level DLA he got but I never filled any income forms in, they certainly never asked about ours.

Absolutely

JC9297 wrote: »

Our son is in receipt of higher rate, when he was under 18 and came under children's services we got respite care for him and neither his income nor ours was assessed. I can't remember but I assume at some point they asked what level DLA he got but I never filled any income forms in, they certainly never asked about ours.

I have 2 sons, one gets hrc and hrm. The other gets mrc and lrm. At no point was I asked specifically about income, although the Social Worker who arranged the Direct Payments in the first place must have been aware that they receive DLA. She never asked about any other household income so I don't think Direct Payments are means tested (I could be wrong! Just my experience).

We have had Direct Payments for a few years now through a "Managed Account". The Council pay the carer direct and deal with all the paperwork/insurance, etc.

I put off getting help for years but now wish I'd done it sooner.

daska

This might help. "fairer charging policy guidelines"

I thought councils were supposed to have moved from direct payments to personalised support plans by now. They're very similar but more flexible in what the money can be used for - not just personal care, also domestic/child care, equipment and services.

Js_Other_Half

Direct payments for children are not means tested.