Local authorities can give payments to parents to pay for the services their child needs. Your income and ability to pay may be assessed.  

Direct payments

Local authorities can give parents payments to pay for the services they have been assessed to be in need of by social services. These are called ‘direct payments’ and are available to both adults and children. Direct payments are seen as a very positive move for parents, for many reasons. They can give people the choice to be flexible about when, how and where they receive services, such as respite. In areas where perhaps there is a lack of formal respite services for autistic people, a parent can actively seek to employ their own carer and negotiate with them the help they need.

If you are receiving direct payments to meet any of your child or young person’s needs their support plan must also include:
•    the needs which are to be met by direct payments
•    the amount of the direct payments and how often they will be paid.
 

Charging for services

If your child is under 16 years of age, you may be charged for any services offered to your child. These charges will be means tested so income and savings may be taken into account. Social services should only assess your income once they have decided which services to offer, so your ability to pay should not influence any decisions about what your child needs.
 
If your child is 16 years of age or older, their income and savings will be assessed to see if they have to pay a charge for the services provided to them.