As part of the support planning process, your practitioner will advise you how much your individual budget is, as it should be very clear as to what monies are available and how these can be spent to meet your agreed outcomes. All your personal budget must be used by you to meet your assessed outcomes.
You cannot spend your personal budget on anything that is not identified as an outcome within your support plan.
There is a limit to how much can be spent on the following (this list is not exhaustive):
- Short breaks as an alternative to respite: The Practitioner will inform you of your allocated budget for short breaks that will achieve your assessed outcomes; consideration for the supported person must be considered on them attending their short break. Food is not to be included in the cost.
- Activities: The priority is to be given to facilitating the supported person to access the activity within their community.
- Expenses: Paid carers/PA’s/support workers (not informal or family members) can be paid where a carer is accompanying the supported person on an outing or activity and the expense incurred is directly linked to an identified outcome for the person e.g., building life skills/social in relation to buying food or eating out/in public. Maximum allowance from personal budget: breakfast £8, lunch £10 and evening meal £15;
- Computer hardware: Cost to be agreed with Practitioner to meet assessed outcome, maintaining the equipment financially will come from the supported person.
- Admin costs: Incurred when managing your personal budget capped at £30.90 per annum e.g., paper, postage, and ink for printer. Where using the services of a payroll company this would not be applicable.
Annual Spend
- Using the services of a payroll company – up to £5.94 per week.
- Employers Liability Insurance reimbursement – up to £113.30 per year.
- Advertising for staff– up to £128.75 per year.
- Personal Assistant certified training i.e. First Aid, Moving and Handling, Managing Epilepsy and Rescue Medication management – up to a maximum of £309.00 per year.
Your Budget Can Be Spent On
- Purchasing items, activities and services that support you to meet your assessed needs and agreed outcomes.
- Employing Personal Assistants or Contracting self-employed workers (DP only)
- Employing someone who lives in the same household as you
- Purchasing support from an agency
- Paying for activities and services to be more involved in your community
- Purchasing respite care
- Support to attend education, volunteering opportunities or employment
These Things Are Negotiable (Spending Limits May Applies)
- Purchasing equipment to support communication, ie. voice recognition software, touchscreen equipment (only if NHS/OT or other funding has been exhausted first).
- Specialist equipment that is not directly provided by the NHS, Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership or the Local Authority.
- Specialist therapy-only if NHS/OT/Physio or funding via other sources has been exhausted first.
- Purchasing equipment or membership where there is evidence that this meets an outcome i.e., sports equipment, gym membership, horse riding lessons.
- Travel costs more than DLA mobility this may be for transport and petrol to meet an assessed outcome.
- Expenses: paid carers/PA’s/support workers (not informal or family members) when accompanying the supported person on an outing or activity and the expense incurred is directly linked to an identified outcome e.g., developing life skills, social skills.
- Activities (identified in support plan) with an unpaid carer; note the priority is to facilitate accessing the activity.
- Eating out including teas/coffees only where this is to meet an assessed outcome.
- Alternatives to residential care.
- Where additional/specialist training has been identified for employed PAs/contracted self-employed workers.
- Short breaks as an alternative to respite (food should not be included in the cost).
- Education that is to be paid for e.g., night classes, alternative courses to education where these cannot be accessed through other education channels.
- Employing family or friends who do not live with you.
Your Budget Cannot Be Spent On
- Anything that has not been identified and agreed through the assessment or support planning process.
- Anything that is illegal.
- Client contributions for services, including respite which must be paid from your personal funds.
- Employing someone who is a Welfare or Financial Guardian or Power of Attorney or who holds parental rights and responsibilities.
- Gambling including scratch cards, bingo, cards, casinos, and slot machines including online gambling.
- Tobacco or alcohol products.
- Any specialist equipment or therapy that you have been assessed as requiring that will be provided directly by the NHS, Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership or the Local Authority i.e., housing, education and children’s services, occupational therapy, will not be funded from your personal budget.
- Rewards/gifts to unpaid carers – this should be paid from the individual's personal income.
- Permanent residential care and support.
- Paying off debts.
- Insurance; car, home, holiday, personal or household items.
- Ongoing running/maintenance costs; where the personal budget has been used to purchase a piece of equipment or remodel a garden the running costs and maintenance are the responsibility of the supported person.
- Food including teas/coffees on holiday or in respite.
- Transport costs; taxis, petrol, transport, travel, mobility badges where in receipt of DLA mobility or PIP (mobility).
- Household expenditure; rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, food/drink, furniture replacement, broadband.
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