Whether you are new to Direct Payments, or you have been receiving them for a while, here is some information that may be useful to you.
Managing your Virtual Wallet
We will be introducing Virtual Wallet soon.
Managing your Allpay Account
Access your allpay account
If you receive Direct Payments into a prepaid card account, you can access your account below.
Change how your Direct Payments are paid to you or other details
Change how your Direct Payments are paid to you
If you would like to change how you receive your Direct Payments, the Direct Payment support team can help.
Please get in touch by either of the following methods and leave your details:
Change of address or banking information
If you need to tell us about a change of address, or different banking details for your payment, you can do that via the Direct Payments Team.
Change in your care needs
If your care needs have changed since you started getting Direct Payments, then please get in touch with us. This can be if your needs are more, or less, or just different. You can ask for a reassessment by talking to your case worker, or filling in the online assessment form here.
Complete an online assessmentIf you want or need to change the way your support is provided, then you can also get in touch with your case worker Direct Payments officer. For example if you wish to change to a different care agency, or employ your own personal assistant.
Contact Direct Payments Officer
Ending your Direct Payments
If you no longer wish to arrange your own care
If you no longer wish to receive a Direct Payments to manage your own support, just let the Direct Payment team know. They will arrange for your social worker to contact you and discuss support options. The Direct Payment support office will also help you close things down and make any necessary payments.
If we end your Direct Payments
We may need to end your Direct Payments for another reason, such as if you:
- go into a care home on a long-term basis
- are having issues managing your money
If this happens you will be kept informed and we will make other arrangements to make sure you still get the care and support you need.
If the person receiving the Direct Payments passes away
If the person for whom the Direct Payment is set up passes away, please let us know. We will ensure that arrangements are made sensitively to tie up the finances.
If the person receiving the Direct Payment on behalf of someone else passes away, please let us know as soon as possible. We will help ensure continuity of care for the person who needs it.
Employing staff
If you are employing your own staff as part of your care and support plan, our Direct Payment support service will provide guidance. We can advise on all aspects of recruiting, employing and managing your personal assistant(s).
There is a list of support services if you feel that the responsibility of managing the Direct Payment is too much.
Visit our Budget managed by third party site
Recruiting staff
If you are considering recruiting a Personal assistant to help with your support needs, our Direct Payment team can refer you to our Support Service who specialise in recruitment. The Support Service will assist with:
- personal assistant job description
- advertising and matching
- interviewing
- completing references and DBS check
If you wish to make your own arrangements, our Direct Payment team can support with any advice and guidance you may need, including a checklist for new employers, job adverts templates and DBS checks.
If you are recruiting staff, we recommend Skills for Care which is an external company who provide useful information for:
- finding a personal assistant
- getting started with recruitment
They have created a toolkit to support individuals to recruit, manage and train personal assistants.
They also have a guide on recruiting a personal assistant. This helps guide you through a:
- job description
- advert
- interviewing
- completing references and DBS check
Visit Skills for Care website for more information
Employee checks
Before you offer anyone employment, we strongly recommend that you request:
- employer and character references
- a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
Learn more and request a DBS check on the GOV.UK website
Eligibility to work in the UK
As an employer, you must ensure that your personal assistant has the eligibility to work within the UK. Under the Asylum and Immigration Act it is a criminal offence to employ a person who does not have permission to work in the UK.
You could be fined up to £20,000 per illegally employed individual.
Please ensure, before a person starts work, that they provide evidence that they are legally entitled to work in the UK.
Here are some useful checklists to ensure you have everything covered:
Contracts
It is essential that you create a contract of employment that both you and your employee sign, so you both know where you stand. Your employer liability insurance provider may have examples you can use for this. It should include things like:
- your name
- employee name
- their job title
- the place of work
- employment start date
- hours of work
- holiday entitlement
- sick leave and sick pay entitlement
- period of notice on both sides
You should set a probationary period to allow you to get to know each other before you both completely commit to the arrangement.
You also need to think about what will happen if you are away, or have to go into hospital – will you continue to pay a full salary, or just a retainer amount?
Templates for paperwork
The Skills for Care website has some useful templates to help you to recruit and manage your personal assistant. You can use them as they are, or change them to suit your needs.
These include:
- for recruitment - job adverts, job descriptions, invitation to interview and job offer letters
- for your day-to-day work - holiday and sickness forms, risk assessments
- for other matters - training, disciplinary and grievance forms
Payroll
If you are employing your own staff (rather than using an agency or a self-employed worker) then you will need to make arrangements to pay them. You can do this yourself, or employ a payroll provider to do this for you. We’ll give you a list of local providers, which includes their charges.
The cost of payroll can be paid from your Direct Payment. If you are going to do this yourself you may need to register as an employer.
Find out more about registering as an employer on the GOV.UK website.You need to pay at least the minimum wage, and it does change every year.
Learn more about the national minimum wage and national living wage rates on the GOV.UK website.You will need to have time sheets completed by your employee and authorised by you, as well as a record of all holidays and sickness absence. Your payroll provider will support you with this.
Insurance
You must make sure you have the correct insurance if you are employing staff, this includes:
- employer liability insurance
- public liability insurance
- adequate car insurance, if they are going to drive your car
A Direct Payment support officer will be able to advise on taking out the right insurance and you can use your personal budget to pay for this.
You can read more about the insurance you need on the GOV.UK websiteYou can choose any insurance provider you wish. Below is a list of our recommended Insurance Providers:
View the Insurance Services list
Training needs
You may feel that you, as a new employer need some training to help you handle your new responsibilities. Your PA might also need some training, especially if you are employing a friend or family member who worked as a professional carer before.
Our Direct Payment Officers can advise you what available training is available, as there are of accessible training support as an employer.
We recommend a few of the following training services. Personal assistants and their employers can also access training through:
- ILG Academy Home - ILG Academy
- Disability Cornwall
- FISH insurance, for people who are insured with them
Additional Training Resources
We Find Any Learner offer online courses. These are Government-funded and so are available at no cost to you. They will help you to develop yours and your personal assistant's knowledge and skills at your own pace. You can do this in your own home within approximately 20 to 30 hours, or around 4 to 12 weeks.
The top 10 course choices are:
- Mental Health
- Event Planning
- T User Skills
- Principles for Digital Skills
- Understanding Autism
- Allergy Awareness
- Bullying in Children and Young People
- Safe Handling of Medication
- Dementia Care
- Children and Young People’s Mental Health
To be eligible, you need to be:
- Over 19 as of the 31st August in the current academic year
- Living in Scotland or England, and have lived in the UK for the last 3 years, or more
- Not on an Apprenticeship
For more information and to enrol visit 'We find any learner' webpage
or call 01226 958 888.
Funding for Training
People who employ personal assistants can apply for money to pay for training. This can be to develop the knowledge and skills of their personal assistant, and for themselves as an employer. This opportunity is open to people who receive a Direct Payment, and those that use their own money to employ personal assistants. Funding can be used for:
- personal assistants training and development needs
- the development of their knowledge and skills as an employer
- hiring replacement support whilst your usual personal assistant is attending training courses
Read more about Individual Employer Funding
In an emergency
It is important to think about how your care needs would be met if something unexpected happened. For example, what would you do if your personal assistant was unwell and unable to provide your usual care?
Create a plan that details any situations that could arise and what you would expect to happen. This is particularly important to have if your usual cover is not in place in an emergency situation.
Please note: if you have been left without cover and an emergency occurs, we will make sure you have the support you need. This is usually through a care agency and can continue until your usual care arrangements are back to normal again.
You can also find more information about dealing with emergencies and future planning on our carers pages.
Visit our Carers pages for more information
Free Personal Assistant Flu Vaccine
If you provide care and support directly to people, the Government recommends you receive a flu vaccine. This includes all personal care assistants (PAs). A free flu vaccine is available for them.
You can find out more about how to get hold of this for your personal assistants on the Government website, (below). The website suggests you provide your Pas with a letter proving their employment, which they use to show they are eligible. There is no cost to you, as their employer, for this vaccination.
Flu vaccination guidance for personal assistants (PAs)
Blue Light Card
Personal assistants are eligible to hold a Blue Light Card, allowing them to discounts and other benefits.
Read more about Blue Light Card
Want more information?
The Care Act 2014 sets out the case for Direct Payments.
Read more about The Care Act 2014
disAbility Cornwall website includes information on peer support groups
Read more on disAbility Cornwall website
Being the Boss
If you have a disability, you can access peer support to help you to employ your own personal assistant. Join the forum to discuss and share ideas.