What are Personal Budgets?

A Personal Budget is made up of the amount it would cost to meet your agreed support needs.

This money can either be paid direct to you so that you can arrange your own care and support or we can arrange this for you, or a combination of the two.

A Personal Budget gives you the independence to:

• Choose and control the support that is best for you.
• Be fully involved in decisions about the help you need to live independently.
• Support yourself in ways that suit you.

How do I get a Personal Budget?

You can only have a Personal Budget, or Direct Payment, if you have been assessed by us as needing support to help you to live independently. An assessment is simply a discussion with you that will help us understand what help and support you might need.

Find out more about an assessment

 

The assessment will determine how much money you can get for your Personal Budget. Once the amount is agreed you can start planning how to spend it. We'll help you to do this by using our experience to agree a plan which meets your support needs.

Once that's established we can organise how you will receive the money. It can be paid directly to you, to someone else if you aren't happy dealing with the money yourself, or we can manage it for you.

Finally, you spend the money in ways that you feel best meets your needs. You are in control as long as you spend the money in accordance with your plan. We'll check with you from time to time to make sure everything is going OK and that you are living your life in a way that suits you.

Prepaid Cards

One way that you can have your Personal Budget, or Direct Payment, is by having a Prepaid Card with money paid directly onto it by Stockport Council. A Prepaid Card looks like a Credit or Debit Card, and works in a similar way. Prepaid Card holders can use their card to pay for support, without having to write a cheque or use cash and the money spent is deducted straight from their Personal Budget.

Find out more about Prepaid Cards

 

Who will arrange my Personal Budget?

A Social Worker will talk to you during the assessment and that is a good time to say that you would like to have a Personal Budget. If you would like more information they will be able to give it to you at this stage.