If you have already chosen to arrange your support via a Direct Payment, there is further information relating to the review below. It includes useful information if you are employing a personal assistant.
Change in current circumstances?
If your current care needs have increased or you no longer require the same level of support, then we encourage you to please get in touch with us. You may require a reassessment of your care needs from a social work professional.
You can also request a review of your care needs via our Request help for an adult page.
If you have a change in the way your care is supported via a Direct Payment please get in touch. We can assist with relevant information and ensure your social care needs are being met by the Personal Budget you currently receive. For example you may now wish to employ a personal assistant instead of support from a care agency.
Direct Payment Newsletter
In response to your feedback, we produce a regular update for our Adults' Direct Payment holders.
If you want to access an electronic version of this or future Direct Payment update documents, these can be found here:
Payments and reviewing your Direct Payment expenditure form and bank statements
Every three months, we ask you send us a record of the money you have spent from your Direct Payment if you use a bank account, rather than an AllPay account.
We ask you to send us your bank statements for us the review your Direct Payment expenditure, this is noted in Section 9 of the Direct Payment Policy.
The expenditure form can be used by you or the person helping to manage your direct payment to track expenditure. We ask you return this information to the email or postal address provided on the form.
We may agree a longer review period with you if all is running smoothly with your Direct Payment. We may also write to you to request bank statements for a period of up to 12 months (or more) if we have not had contact from you.
Bank Statements can be sent to AdultsDPStatements@cornwall.gov.uk
Payment rates
In line with the Direct Payment Policy, we have agreed an update for the standard Direct Payments Rates for 2024-25. We use this to calculate the budget we give you to spend on your care and support. The agreed rate ensures you have enough funds to meet the cost of inflation and, if you have one, to pay your personal assistant.
This means if you arrange care with a self-employed Personal Assistant, you can increase their hourly rate of pay to £14.72. Your self–employed Personal Assistant will cover their own on-costs including insurance and tax.
If you employ a Personal Assistant, part of your legal responsibilities is to ensure you pay your employee(s) the Foundation Living Wage. This is now £12.00 per hour for those over 18 years of age. Your Direct Payment budget will cover this amount to enable you to pay your Personal Assistant at the rate of £12.00. The remainder of the £14.72 will be available to cover your employer on-costs including holiday pay, insurance and tax.
If you have an agreed custom rate for your Direct Payment, you may receive an increase of 3.4% to the current hourly rate agreed as part of your care and support plan.
Should you need some help to calculate your budget, then please get in touch with the Direct Payments team who can help to calculate this.
We will also pay an annualised Employment Liability Insurance payment of £99 to those who employ a Personal Assistant. This is now separate from calculated on-costs within your budget.
|
Service |
Unit of Measurement |
2024/25 Rate |
|
Personal Assistant - day rate |
Hourly rate, inclusive of ‘on- costs’ |
£14.72 |
|
Personal Assistant – day rate respite |
Hourly rate, inclusive of ‘on- costs’ |
£14.72 |
|
Personal Assistant - night Rate |
Hourly rate |
Waking Night £15.95 Sleeping Night £10.63 |
|
Personal Assistant - night rate respite |
Hourly rate, inclusive of ‘on- costs’ |
Waking Night £15.95 Sleeping Night £10.63 |
|
Homecare - Agency |
Hourly rate |
Day Rate £26.08 |
|
Supported Lifestyles - Agency |
Hourly rate |
Day Rate £22.80 |
|
Respite in care home – Residential |
Weekly Cost |
Tier 1 £894 |
|
Respite in Care Home – Nursing (Including FNC) |
Weekly cost |
Tier 1 £1,255 |
|
Tier 4 will be calculated using The Care Funding Calculator |
|
|
|
Day Care |
Full daily cost (average) |
£48.41 |
|
Barrier Products allowance (where PA employed only) |
Annual cost |
£54.00 |
You can read the detailed increase to rates in the letter sent to all direct payments recipients.
Transitioning from a children’s Direct Payment to adults
If you have had a 'Children’s Direct Payment' you may wish to continue that arrangement once you become an adult.
An assessment of your needs will need to be carried out. This will be done by a social worker. They will review whether you are eligible for social care support and services. If you are eligible, the social worker will support you to transition to Adults Direct Payment.
Visit the Direct Payments information for children and young people
