UK Dept of Health allocates ??4.5 million to boost direct payments to 44 charities

UK Health Minister Stephen Ladyman, today allocated funding of ??4.5 million to 44 charities to create and boost schemes encouraging people to take up direct payments (cash in lieu of social services).


This announcement marks the completion of the second round of successful bids for the Direct Payments Development Fund. Working in partnership with local councils, voluntary organisations over the next 18 months will encourage people to exercise choice and control through the use of direct payments. The partnerships are expected to be up and running by 1 September 2004. The first round of successful bids was announced in August 2003.


Projects from the first round have been promoting direct payments in a number of innovative ways. For example,


-- Gateshead Crossroads are using 'social telephony' to get people into networks to talk about direct payments and support each other.


-- In Salford, the Council for Voluntary Services are developing elected user groups, trained to provide advocacy and support to their peers.


-- Equalities in Waltham Forest have employed outreach workers to go into mosques, churches, hospitals, doctors surgeries and voluntary organisations to talk to people from black and minority ethnic communities about direct payments.


Direct payments are key in the Government's commitment to promoting independence and freedom of choice for those needing care and support. By giving individuals money in lieu of social services people have greater choice and control over their lives, and are able to make their own decisions about how their care is delivered.


Dr. Ladyman said:


"We are pleased to announce today the successful bids to the second stage of the Direct Payments Development Fund. This Government has provided ??9m over three years to enable voluntary organisations in partnership with councils to actively establish direct payments as an option for people across the country.


"We know that direct payments have made an enormous difference to people's lives. For example, a woman in Hampshire has told us that she had nearly been driven to distraction by 'carers' she had been sent under her domiciliary care arrangements. She explained that she needs a lot of intimate personal assistance, and had found it difficult to allow 'carers' to provide that degree of personal care and when it was different people nearly every time she found it extremely upsetting. She now has a direct payment and employs a personal assistant that she has known for a number of years. She now says that she is alive again and feels in control of her life.


"It is stories like this that make me realise how valuable direct payments are and how important it is for Government to ensure that people are able to exercise much more control and choice in their lives. "