The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities and CCGs to consider the option of a personal budget for children and young people who are eligible for an education, health and care (EHC) plan.The Care Act 2014, which requires the NHS and local authorities to provide an early indication of what support, including personal budgets, will be available to young people when they transfer to adult services.Personal budgets are also enshrined in legislation under the following acts The ‘right to have’ a personal health budget currently applies both to adults and young adults who are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, and children in receipt of continuing care. Personal health budgets can improve people’s quality of life and their experience of care, by helping people to have more choices about how their healthcare needs are met. NHS England is working with partners across education and social care to support more young people with complex health needs to access personal health budgets. Personal health budgets for children, young people and families Personal health budgets for children, young people and families.This content was last reviewed in April 2022. Each trust sets its own policy on awarding a personal budget.Councils do not have a legal duty to provide a personal budget, but they must plan your care and support with a focus on your preferences and desired outcomes.They will do a financial assessment to decide if you must pay some or all of the cost. Your council may decide that you need to make a contribution towards the cost of your support.Councils use a system to decide on the amount of your personal budget.They should also offer the option to receive some or all the personal budget as a direct payment. The Care Act 2014 means that – if you have eligible needs – your council should award you a personal budget.The approach to personal budgets depends on where you live. You cannot use a social care personal budget to buy services that the NHS should provide. You should be able to use the budget to buy support and/or equipment in the way that you think is most appropriate. In general, you will have more freedom to make your own choices if you have a personal budget. You can use personal budgets for different kinds of support if they meet your assessed needs or agreed outcomes.

What you can use your personal budget for

Your council and support provider should put you at the centre of all decisions, work with you to design your support plan and decide how the personal budget is spent. You can choose to use a combination of these three payment methods to best meet your needs. Your council holds your personal budget for you and commissions services on your behalf. Not every council offers an ISF, and you should check with your local council if you feel this would be a good option for you. Your council gives your personal budget to a support provider, who uses the money to plan and meet your care and support needs. Your direct payment is normally paid into your bank account.Ī direct payment is one of the ways you can receive a social care personal budget from your council to help you pay for support you need. It gives you more flexibility, choice and control over the services you use, and from whom you get them. This means some, or all, of your personal budget is paid directly to you. There are three ways you can choose to receive and use your personal budget Direct payment Ways you can receive and use your personal budget This is called an assessment.Ī personal budget allows you (or a person representing you) to control how you pay for your support and who provides it.

What you can use your personal budget forĪ personal budget is an agreed amount of money that is allocated to you by your local authority (and through other funding streams).īefore you can be allocated a personal budget, your local authority will meet with you to find out what care and support you need.

Ways you can receive and use your personal budget.

This page tells you what a personal budget is, how it works and what your rights are.