Using direct payments to buy a service

People can purchase a service with their direct payment, such as paying to attend activity or education classes of their choice or buying a care and support service.

These will be arranged and managed by whoever provides the service. The individual will pay to take part or use the service but they are not necessarily involved in organising the activities.

The payments can also be ‘pooled’ with other direct payments recipients to run a service or activity.

A group of people with similar needs got to know each other through a drop-in club run by a local charity.

They wanted to carry on seeing each other when they left their courses of study, ideally doing something outdoors.

A parent of one member of the group offered to rent an allotment for them. They pooled their direct payments to employ a gardener to help them plant and tend a mixture of vegetables and flowers.

This not only helps their well-being but also helps to maintain their levels of physical activity.

Later in the season, they are intending to employ someone to teach them to cook with the vegetables they have grown.

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