Direct payments guidance

Reviews

The council will monitor the quality of care that you purchase with your Direct Payment. This may involve a home visit to ensure that the assessed needs in your Support Plan are being met.

Record keeping

The money you receive as a Direct Payment is for services to meet your assessed social care needs. It remains public money; it is not yours to spend as you wish. You will be required to account for the money and satisfy the council that the needs for which it is giving you Direct Payments are being met. You will be required to comply with all requests for monitoring activity.

If you are an employer, you will also need to keep records for HM Revenue and Customs. All records must be kept for at least three years after the end of the tax year to which they relate. The Direct Payments Advisor can provide advice to you on record keeping and storage.

Direct Payments audit

The council will monitor how you are spending your Direct Payment. It is important that your assessed needs are being met and that the money is being spent appropriately.

Any false claims will be investigated and may result in criminal proceedings.

By monitoring your prepaid account, the council will complete a financial audit of your Direct Payment account. If you do not use a prepaid card, you will be required to provide on a quarterly basis:

• Bank statements
• Time sheets
• Expenditure sheets
• Invoices
• Receipts

If you:

• Spend your direct payment on the services which are not included in your Support Plan.
• Do not pay your assessed charge into your Direct Payment account
• Fail to submit your audit paperwork the council within deadlines.

The council can suspend/cease your Direct Payment, transfer your Direct Payment to a prepaid card or arrange for your care to be provided as a commissioned service.