Direct Payments

Direct payments are money paid by local councils to people who have been assessed as needing help from social services, and who would like to arrange and pay for their own care and support.

Examples of what direct payments could be used for include:

  • a personal assistant of your choice
  • courses not offered as standard by your local authority
  • respite at a place of your choosing
  • gym membership

Although it's important to remember that whatever you use your direct payment for it should be  the best way to address your social care needs.

For more information, please contact the Rethink Advice and Information Service or see our Direct Payments Factsheet

Personalisation

Personalisation is a way of making sure that individuals have more choice and control over the services that they receive. Please visit our personalisation website for a guide to personalised mental health services and individual budgets.

A direct payment is just one method of spending the money allocated to you within your personalised care plan. Check with your local council what other options they may offer

You can also find out more about the research Rethink Mental Illness have been conducting around personalisation.

Getting Personal

Reathink Mental Illness has produced a report called Getting Personal which covers:

  • What people with mental health problems are using their Direct Payments for.
  • What makes the personalisation process easier for people with mental health problems.
  • The role of carers.
  • Common problems that are being encountered by people with mental health problems and their carers when trying to access personalised care services.

The full report can be found by clicking on the following link -  Getting Personal (452 kb) [pdf]