5: One-off direct payments for equipment, minor adaptations, holidays, leisure activities 

A: I’ve been told you can get a one-off direct payment. What are they and what can you spend them on?

B: Yes that’s right, they’re called one-off direct payments. You could receive them to pay for equipment, minor adaptations, holidays and perhaps leisure activities.

A: How do I receive a one-off direct payment then?

B: Well to qualify for one, you’ll need an assessment.

A: If my support plan includes a holiday, what’s good about taking a direct payment to pay for this?

B: Well if you take a direct payment you might be able to pick a holiday that includes your particular interests. It might be hard for social services to commission a holiday that is so personal to you. But it’s down to you.

A: I’ve been told that you can get a direct payment to pay for minor adaptations to your home. What is considered a minor adaptation and what will my direct payment cover. I’m not sure.

B: That’s right, a minor adaptation would be a small change to your home. This might be a grabrail, a ramp or some specialist lighting. If you get a direct payment, you might be able to pick a design that works better for you and one that suits your needs.

A: If I get a direct payment for equipment, will I be able to get exactly what I want?

B: Well I think it’s important to think carefully when you get a direct payment for equipment. You will need to make sure that the direct payment is enough to buy the equipment that meets your needs. So it’s important to try to find out how much equipment costs. 

A: What happens if the equipment needs repairing? Who pays for this? Me or them?

B: Good question. I think you should ask social services about who is responsible for cleaning, maintaining, repairing and replacing equipment as well as who owns it. It’s important to be clear on this so that you don’t have any nasty surprises later on. You should also ask what will happen if your needs change and you need different equipment.

A: OK. I have one more question. I want to buy a pager that alerts me to a range of different things but my assessment only covers a couple of the functions. Can I use a direct payment for some of the cost?

B: Yes. This is often called ‘topping up’ and can be one of the advantages of using direct payments for your equipment. You can still have your council’s contribution as a direct payment, but buy a model that has additional functions or is more expensive. 

However, you should make sure that the direct payment is enough to buy the equipment that meets your assessed needs. 

A pager system for example can have additional benefits but the assessed needs must be met.