Using your care and support personal budget
Using your Personal Budget
If your assessment identifies an unmet need(s) you may be eligible for support and awarded a Personal Budget.
An example of an unmet need: A person needs help to eat or drink but they do not have any support e.g. a family member to help them.
A Personal Budget is an amount of money that Wakefield Council sets aside for an individual to pay for a service they need, to help them meet their unmet need(s).
There are different ways you can choose to take your Personal Budget:
Managed Account
We manage your budget and arrange services from a range of providers that the council commissions from
Direct Payments / Cash Budget
Choosing to receive your Personal Budget via a Direct Payment means that you, or your carer, are able to manage your own budget and support. You may choose to do this by employing your own personal assistant (PA) or care agency. The important thing is that the support you arrange meets the outcomes agreed in your support plan.
The benefits of Direct Payments are:
- you arrange and manage your own support
- you have more choice in who helps support you
- support can be more flexible and creative and fit around your life and needs
However, managing a Direct Payment can be quite time consuming. It is important that if you choose to manage your support in this way you are clear of what is involved. A Third Party Supported Accountant (TPSA) can support you in manging your Direct Payment.
Individual Service Fund
An organisation, the ‘ISF Provider’, holds your budget on your behalf. They will also help you to decide how best to achieve the outcomes agreed in your care and support plan. You can pick your ISF Provider from the list of accredited organisations provided below.
How much will I have to pay for my care and support?
Some people may be required to pay towards the cost of their care and support (personal budget).
The amount you have to pay (or contribute) for your care and support will depend on:
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the care and support you receive
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your income
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savings
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other personal circumstances.
We will complete a financial assessment with you. We will work out whether you must contribute towards the cost of your care and to tell you how much that will be.
The financial assessment will be different depending on whether your care is provided in your own home or in a residential home. If you decide to move into residential home then you will always have to contribute towards the cost of your care.
Some people may need to pay the full cost of their care. We refer to this as being a self – funder. If you are a self-funder you can choose to arrange your own care or you can still ask us to help with this.
When making important financial decisions, you may want to seek independent financial advice. It's always worth researching the costs of alternatives first.