Direct payments are a means of arranging short break services that give families the flexibility and control to decide how to meet their particular needs. A person with parental responsibility for the disabled child or young person is given money to purchase their own services rather than relying on the local authority to arrange it.

A Direct Payment is given instead of a service.

Most parents use direct payments to employ a person – usually someone within their network of contacts. Parents cannot use direct payments to purchase a local authority service. See the Benefits and Funding section.

Direct Payments for young people aged 18 plus are known as Cash Budgets.