Direct payments are one of the clearest ways Sandwell residents can keep control of how support is arranged. Instead of the council organising every service on your behalf, Sandwell can pay your personal budget directly to you so that you can arrange the support set out in your support plan.
What a direct payment is in Sandwell
Sandwell describes a direct payment as a way of paying your personal budget. The money is paid to you on a pre-paid card rather than the council arranging all services itself. You then use that budget to buy the support that has been agreed in your support plan.
The aim is flexibility. You can make choices about who supports you, how they support you and when support is provided.
Who can usually get one
Sandwell says most people who are entitled to a personal budget can also choose a direct payment. The personal budget route is mainly for adults who:
- live in Sandwell
- are aged 18 or over
- need care and support in their own home or in the community
- have care needs that are not likely to change quickly.
Your social worker or adult social care worker should discuss whether a direct payment is suitable during assessment and support planning.
What you can use it for
Sandwell’s guidance gives residents scope to arrange support in different ways. For example, you may:
- employ a personal assistant
- buy support from a care agency
- use a mix of direct payments and council-arranged services
- shape support around the times and routines that matter to you.
The key rule is that the money must be used for the outcomes and needs set out in your support plan.
How the money is paid
Sandwell says direct payment money is paid onto the pre-paid card every four weeks. If your financial assessment shows that you need to contribute towards the cost of your care, you will need to pay your contribution into the direct payments account regularly as well.
Support plans still matter
Even with maximum flexibility, direct payments do not remove the need for a formal care and support plan. Sandwell says the plan should set out what you need support with and how you want to use your personal budget to achieve the agreed results. That means your budget should always be tied to assessed needs and reviewed outcomes.
If someone else needs to manage the money
Sandwell also recognises that some people will need a suitable person to manage the money on their behalf. This should be agreed as part of the support planning process before the first payment is made.
Useful Sandwell links
Last reviewed: 30 March 2026. Opening times, charges, referral routes, eligibility rules and commissioned services can change, so always use the linked Sandwell or NHS service before you travel, apply or rely on a phone number.
