Agoraphobia and Direct Payments.

BiscuitBiscuit

Hi everyone,

I hope I'm posting this in the right area.

I am hoping for some advice on direct payments.

I am currently on a waiting list for a card assessment, I am hoping to receive direct payments.

My situation is that I have autism, I have agoraphobia, social phobia and communication issues.

I am able to go out with my safe person, with my safe person I am able to go for days out, go shopping, and go to medical appointments, and just access normal things, without my safe person with me I am basically housebound.

Do you think that I will be eligible to claim direct payments to employ my safe person as a PA?

smokey18

I dont know if this will help to answer your question, but I employ a Personal Assistant via direct payment so I don’t see why you can’t.

Jellihead

@BiscuitBiscuit

As long as your safe person does not live with you or you don't live with them, it is not allowed to use direct payment to pay someone who lives with you. However you can employ a family member, again as long as they do not live with you or you do not live with them.

When and if you employ a PA they need to be registered as self employed.

wobblyone

It might be a good idea to work out how many hours you need weekly as the person assessing you might not understand your needs. Also describe how your PA will support you clearly because you can only use direct payments for whatever is agreed in your care plan.

BiscuitBiscuit

Really, the direct payments would be paying for my PA's time, I like to go to town, I like to go on walks, and obviously I need medical appointments (I have needed glasses for well over a decade, and I only just got them last year thanks to my safe person/PA, we worked on exposure therapy together and I've got to the stage where I can do go out and about, but only with this particular person.

Am I right in thinking that the direct payments can pay for her time? If she got other paid employment, then her time would not be available anymore, which would mean I am in the situation of losing my routine of going out to the places I like to go.

I hope this makes sense.

BiscuitBiscuit

Also,

Does anyone know how long it takes to get the care needs assessment?

We had a phone call with someone on February 13th, and I have been emailed since to say I am on a waiting list for a care needs assessment.

Kimmy87

Every council is different so we wouldn't be able to answer that one unfortunately.

There isn't a maximum wait time under law either.