Personal Budget and Direct Payments
Personalisation means thinking about care and support, health, and education services in an entirely different way. This means starting with the person as an individual with strengths, preferences and aspirations and putting that person at the centre of the process when identifying their needs and supporting them to make choices about how and when they are supported to live their life the way they want to and to achieve their outcomes and life goals.
A personal budget is an amount of money allocated to deliver all or some of the services and support set out in an Adults care and support plan, a child’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, Child in Need plan, or Continuing Care and support plan. A personal budget can be paid to a person, providing they are over 16 as a Direct Payment.
A Direct Payment gives the person full choice and control over which type of care or support they’d like to procure to meet their eligible assessed care and support needs and achieve their desired outcomes as stated within their care and support plan. For example, employing people to assist with daily routines and independence, to hire the same consistent workers, rather than rotating agency staff, to help people maintain social contact and wellbeing, equipment that is not available through the NHS or other contracted routes or to arrange breaks for individuals or carers.
As of January 31st 2026, the number of Adults and Children in receipt of a Direct Payment in Somerset was 2052. A further breakdown, weekly net costs and average weekly cost is set out below:
| Primary Assessed Need | Number of People | Weekly Net Costs £ | Average Weekly Cost £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning Disabilities/Autism | 531 | £242,412.96 | £456.52 |
| Physical Disabilities | 945 | £323,252.93 | £342.07 |
| Mental Health | 160 | £41,151.61 | £257.20 |
| Total | 1636 | £606,817.50 | £370.92 |
Children and Young Adults in receipt of an EHCP are paid termly and packages can vary greatly. Children with Disabilities are paid monthly.
| Primary Assessed Need | Number of People | Annual Total |
|---|---|---|
| EHCP | 127 | £1,805,162.64 |
| Children with Disability (pending, active & suspended) | 289 | £1,491,348.93 |
We determine how Direct Payments are being utilised by auditing the financial returns (bank statements and invoices) and gathering data from what we see being paid for. We also conduct regular surveys asking outright what types of care and support services are being used and what impact this has had on a person’s life etc. These surveys are important because it helps the council to understand the market and help shape the options available to the people in Somerset in the future.
Somerset Council will continue to:
- Improve access to Direct Payments in a timely way, developing and streamlining the set-up process.
- Ensure the continuation of an easily accessible advice and guidance support service.
- Produce user friendly information regarding Direct Payments
- Develop our Individual Service Fund (ISF) offer.