Your direct payment

Your funder will continue to pay your direct payment as usual (which means that you will continue to pay any assessed customer contribution into the direct payment account) most services such as day care and schools have now returned to normal. However, funders understand that there may still be circumstances where you are not able to use your direct payment as usual, for example:

• Additional costs to your care e.g. you need additional care to cover staff absence/sickness
• To cover contracted services that are not operational e.g. day care or school/college closure

If you need to make temporary changes to your support plan which cost more than your usual direct payment, please contact your funder to discuss.

Direct payments cannot be used to buy food or for day to day living costs. If you are suffering hardship, please contact your funder as a matter of urgency.

The latest government guidance can be found here: using direct payments during the coronavirus outbreak: full guidance for people receiving direct payments and personal assistants

Planning ahead

• Consider whether you will be able to arrange care to keep yourself safe. Are your usual services or personal assistants still available? What will happen if not? If you need help with this, contact Independent Lives or your funder.
• It is important to ensure that you have a contingency plan in place, to include emergency personal assistant cover if necessary. In light of increasing restrictions, your plan should be robust and appropriate for the foreseeable future. We can offer support with this if required. If you are unable to source alternative support you should contact your named social worker or social care team.
• Make sure your contact details, other key information and your support plan is up to date so that any new carers have the information they need.
• Keep a log of any spending that is different to your usual support plan, including receipts – you may need this to explain spending once the pandemic and immediate measures are over.
• Make sure you know how to access latest guidance e.g. for personal protective equipment.

If you need to make temporary changes to your support plan which cost more than your usual direct payment, please contact your funder.