Care glossary · Paying for care
Direct payments: what it means
Money from the council that people use to arrange their own care, instead of the council arranging it.
Direct payments give more choice and control, for example to choose a particular agency or employ a personal assistant. You must keep records of how the money is spent.
Terms often used alongside it
- Personal budget: The amount the council works out it will cost to meet someone's eligible care needs.
Questions about direct payments
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More in Paying for care
Self-funder · Care needs assessment · Financial assessment (means test) · Upper capital limit · Lower capital limit · Tariff income · Personal expenses allowance · Minimum income guarantee · Disability-related expenditure · 12-week property disregard · Deferred payment agreement · Third-party top-up · Personal budget · Deprivation of assets · Care cap
Data: CQC register, Oct 2026, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We are an independent directory and do not provide care.