Can I get a Direct Payment or SDS payment?

You can get Self Directed Support (SDS) payments if:

• You have eligible social care needs,
• You can make decisions for yourself,
• You ask for an SDS payment,
• You can manage an SDS payment alone or with help, and
• SDS payments will help to meet your needs.

If you already get support, your next review of your support plan should give you the opportunity to consider SDS, but if you don’t already get support, get in touch with your local council to ask about support you may be eligible for.

Can someone else manage my SDS payments for me?

Yes. Guardians or Attorneys of adults over 16 can manage your SDS payments for you. Other people are able to manage the payments for you but this is at the council’s discretion. 

What if I do not have mental capacity to manage SDS payments?

Mental capacity is a legal term that means you can make decisions. If you cannot make a decision, you do not have ‘mental capacity’, so this means if you cannot:

• Understand information about SDS payments,
• Remember the information,
• Think about all the information to make a decision, or
• Let someone know what your decision is.

The local authority will ask you if you:

• Understand the decisions you will need to make, and
• Understand what will happen if you make these decisions.

You can get SDS payments if you lack capacity as a carer, friend or relative can ask for them and manage them for you. The local authority will only do this if they think that they are suitable and they will act in your best interests – your local authority might say that this person is ‘authorised’ to help you.