Direct payments
A more flexible way to use your personal budget to buy care services.
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Get more help
The Direct Payment Advice Team are ready to help you choose and buy the support you need.
Eligible needs and your personal budget
Direct payments are an option if you have both:
- been assessed as having eligible needs
- are entitled to help with care costs following the financial assessment
You will have a personal budget as part of your support plan. The amount you have to contribute will depend on:
- your savings
- income
- any property you may own
- your disability-related expenditure
Learn more in our guide to paying for your care.
Receiving your personal budget as direct payments
A direct payment is a cash payment made directly to an account that we create for you. You use a card to purchase your care, set up direct debits, and make one-off payments.
Receiving your personal budget as direct payments will allow you to:
- purchase your own care and support in a way that best suits you
- be as independent as possible
Direct payments are a good way to be creative and flexible when managing your care. But arranging the care can involve more work for you.
Using direct payments to buy care services
You can use your direct payments to buy care privately. However, we can still help you arrange and manage your services, making sure the services meet your assessed needs.
Find the direct payments approved provider list (APL) on Live Well Oxfordshire.
What people say about having a Direct Payment
"I really felt heard for once, pointed in the right direction and actually helped. I cannot express clearly how much this means to me and how much it has helped my mental state and my soul."
"I’m so thankful for T's support in setting up my direct payment. T explained everything step by step and made everything really clear for me."
Video - Importance of Direct Payments
Video transcript
So, um, directions have been incredibly useful for me, um, over the time I've been having them in recent, uh, years.
They allow me to have a pa that who brings me to Robert once a week on a Thursday. Playing Rugby's been life-changing.
It's enabled me to gain independence, confidence. Um, but being able to have Richard with me has increased that. Um, Richard's fantastic.
I got put in touch with Richard through Ryan, who works in the director team. Um, he was fantastic. Had a change of circumstance, um, and it meant that I needed a PA and Ryan was really good. He sent me some links, um, and that's where I found Richard.
Um, I think he's really important, being able to have all autonomy and choice over how I use the, the direct him. And, uh, you know, I, I know my situation in Circum are the best and I know how best Richard can support me.
So being able to use the direct payments in that way is incredibly freeing and allows me to live my life to live full.
Um, and it it also gives me a sense of not having to rely on family and, and friends. I can be in control of, of what I do
and how I do it. So, I'm very fortunate and I greatly appreciate receiving direct payments because it enabled me to live my life.
Um, rugby is a huge part of my life now, um, and it brings me so much joy.