Benefits of using a direct payment

Every person’s direct payment experience is different and personal to their needs. Ruils gives the support and guidance you need to set up and use your direct payments.

On this page you can read some personal accounts about how people are using their direct payments to employ PAs (personal assistants) to support them and live independently.

Accessing the community

Ms C, 37, uses her direct payments to employ 4 PAs (personal assistants) who support her with day-to-day activities. Ms C has a learning disability and has used direct payments since she left school 18 years ago in 2004. She now lives independently in her own flat and her PAs take it in turns to support her, six days a week. The direct payment has enabled Ms C to choose different PAs to support her with different activities, for example leisure activities including playing football and computer games.

Ms C also uses her direct payments to access a community activity centre two days a week, taking part in cooking and art classes which she enjoys. This is beneficial for Ms C as her care plan encourages her to interact with others and meet more people. These activities have enhanced Ms C’s social skills and confidence. When she was younger, Ms C used her direct payments towards a training course that would increase her employment chances of working in the catering and hospitality industry, but after a few years she decided that she wanted to focus on her cooking and art classes. Currently, one of her PAs is helping her to explore volunteering opportunities.

Ms C is also supported by her father, Mr N, who lives walking distance from her flat and manages the payroll on a spreadsheet and arranges pensions, tax and National Insurance for the PAs. Mr N say that using and managing direct payments for his daughter allows much more flexibility for her to choose which activities she wants to attend each week. She appreciates having full responsibility to interview and choose her PAs.

Supporting interests

Mr M, 48, is a keen artist and has work displayed. He has Arthrogryposis, a congenital condition that affects his muscle and bone structure; this has a significant effect on his ability to use his arms, hands, legs and feet.

Mr M has been using direct payments for 24 years (since it was first introduced). He uses his direct payments to employ his own PAs as he has 20 hours of care a day. He has three PAs that are rostered on for 4 days at a time, with two PAs as substitutes. Mr M finds direct payments beneficial as he can ensure he is employing the right staff to take care of him day to day, to understand what is important to him as an artist. He says "I like using direct payments as I’m the employer and I have the responsibility to employ the people I want, it is a lot more flexible and some of my PAs are artists too” - so they have similar interests. He goes on to say “you’ve also got to remember that you are responsible for your staff as well”.

PAs support Mr M on a daily basis with tasks such as personal hygiene, preparing meals and drinks, helping him to visit his family in Warwickshire. The support enables Mr M to spend time doing activities that he enjoys and spending time with like-minded people that also enjoy art.

Supporting independence

Mr B has a physical disability, cerebral palsy, which means he uses an electric wheelchair. He lives in a flat on the second floor. The care agency ILA (Independent Living Advisor) supplies 13 hours of direct support and 24 hours live in care. Mr B has two PAs, and the main one lives in the same building as him.

Initially, Mr B was given a couple of options by his care worker 12 years ago when his current provider could no longer meet his needs. They eventually agreed to start using direct payments as he thought it was the best option.

Mr B initially found it difficult as it was a big responsibility, however after a while he adjusted to a different mindset and can now go out when he wants with the help and support of his PAs, using his direct payment.

This has helped Mr B’s parents, as they can no longer care for Mr B due to getting older and moving away. Having two PAs reassures them, knowing that Mr B is in the best care and can live more independently without their help.

Mr B highly recommends using direct payments as it has given him a better quality of life and more flexibility within his day. He has more support with practical tasks such as shopping and cleaning and personal care such as washing and dressing. Mr B has lived at home all his life but now he can go further afield and see his family and friends more often. Mr B feels he has more confidence since using direct payments and feels more at ease.

Accessing work, education and volunteering

G (39) and P (24) are brothers who live with their mother. G has been diagnosed with a learning disability, autism and epilepsy. He finds it difficult to communicate with people he is not familiar with and may misunderstand what people are trying to communicate to him. P has been diagnosed with autism and experiences lots of anxiety about new people and places and doing things by himself.  

G is largely independent at home and is supported by his mother. He is not able to travel by himself and needs support to access and engage in work, training, education and volunteering. With a direct payment now in place, G can access a local gardening centre three times a week. His direct payment budget covers the cost of the day activity, three return trips with a taxi company and PA support for 26 hours a week.

In the past, P had a direct payment to help him access college with PA support. P has now completed his college course, and is visiting the same gardening centre as his brother. His PA supports him for 12 hours per week and using Brain in Hand assistive technology he is working towards increasing confidence in the community and in using transport. 

P and G’s mother explains, “The direct payments work very smoothly and there is always help at hand. The best part about having direct payments is that they enable both boys to go out with the PA and gives me some free time. We all benefit from the support and enjoy a little time for ourselves.”