Direct payments: a national survey of direct payments policy and practice: Direct payments allow people to arrange their own social services. They give individuals control over the social care funding to which they are eligible, and are seen as an important vehicle for promoting independence and choice. Yet there are substantial variations in direct payment arrangements. This UK-wide survey suggests that direct payments packages are provided to people receiving more hours of care per week than the average social care recipient. Significant disparities between local councils were found in the proportions of eligible people receiving direct payments as well as in hourly payment rates, which may affect how individuals attain a fair stake in the market for social care. Also, there were wide variations in the proportion of local community care budgets spent on direct payments, both between areas and across user groups. These were largely reflected in the strength in developments for different users groups; 15.5% of the budgets of English authorities for people with a physical disability was spent on direct payments, compared to 1.1% for people with a learning disability, 0.8% for older people and 0.4% for people with a mental health problem.
