Personal budgets for social care
A personal budget is an amount of money based on your assessed, eligible social care needs. Everyone who has ongoing support needs will have a personal budget to spend on their support.
Following your assessment you will be asked to develop a support plan that describes how you would like to spend your personal budget to meet your needs and achieve your goals (outcomes) in a way that works for you. This means you will have more control over how your support is provided.
Who can have a personal budget?
If you are struggling and feel you would benefit from an assessment, you can make a referral to your local area social care office yourself or a family member or friend can make a referral for you by ringing:
- First Response on 0800 1313 126 if you are under 18.
- 0300 111 8010 for adults. You could also be referred by your GP or another healthcare professional.
Managing your personal budget
There are a number of ways your personal budget can be managed:
- You may want to manage it yourself via a direct payment
- The council can arrange the services for you as a managed budget
- A third-party organisation can hold the money and arrange the services on your behalf.
What if I am unhappy with my personal budget or support?
If you are unhappy with your personal budget or your support you need to:
- Discuss it directly with the people providing your support
- Contact your social worker, care manager or care co-ordinator or your support broker.