You can choose how to use your personal budget:

• You can have the money yourself, as a direct payment, to arrange your own support. • You can ask someone else to have the money, to arrange support for you. • You can ask us to use your budget to arrange services for you.

Direct payment: Money we pay into your bank account, to let you pay for the cost of your support.

More and more people are using their personal budget as a direct payment because it gives them the most choice and control over their support.

How much will you pay for services?

Whether you have a direct payment or we are arranging your support, you may have to pay something towards the cost of the services you use. Usually this is much less than the cost of the service.

The amount you have to pay is based on the amount of services you use and your income and savings. We will make sure that you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to, to help you pay for the services.

The diagram overleaf shows how and when you should use council services. You can, of course, ask us for information and advice at any time.

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