Page 6 - LITRG_PA-final-2018

First things first

This section of the guide tells you more about the government schemes that
offer financial support to disabled people to help you live independent lives.
This support is often called ‘self-directed support’.

What is self-directed support?

You may have heard self-directed support being referred to as ‘personalisation’.
This is all about people being in control of the support they need to live
independently.

This support can be given in different ways and the exact help available to you
depends on which part of the UK you live in.

The table on the next page shows you the main types of support available.
All the systems listed have one thing in common – you can receive a payment
from them directly.

Self-funding

You may decide to use your own funds to pay
for a personal assistant. This may be because
you have chosen not to seek financial assistance
from the government or you may not qualify for
any help because of the levels of your income
or capital or because you are not assessed by
the relevant body as needing any help.

If you are paying the full costs of your care, you
are known as a ‘self-funder’. If you are a self-
funder your Local Authority should be able to
provide you with relevant advice, as can user-led organisations and charities such
as Disability Rights UK:

www.disabilityrightsuk.org

You can find the details of your Local Authority by following this link:

www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council

page 6 Taking on a personal assistant – a basic guide • First things first