Your rights and responsibilities with direct payments for adults
You will need to read and sign the agreement that your care manager will provide and explain to you. We may ask you to look at some of your receipts. Your care manager will help you with anything you need to know.
Pre-paid cards
A pre-paid card is like a debit card. We add money to it so you can pay for things you need, such as care equipment and services.
Sometimes we might agree to give you money so you can pay for your own care services or equipment. If you get a direct payment, we'll give you a pre-paid card which we pay the direct payment onto.
How a pre-paid card works
The card works like a normal debit card.
It has an account number and sort code.
There is no cheque book or overdraft facility so you can’t spend over your budget and get into debt.
There are no fees or charges to use the card.
Checking your account online
You'll be able to check your account online or by phone. You'll also be able to set up regular payments (direct debits and standing orders.)
You don't need a separate bank account and you don't need to send us bank statements – we take care of that for you. We'll check the things you pay for to make sure you're making the most of your card. You should still keep your receipts for anything that you pay for with the pre-paid card.
Using your card
You can use your pre-paid card to buy the care equipment and services you need. So you could:
- make regular payments to your personal assistant
- pay a care agency for a service
- buy care equipment in a shop or online
You can't use your card for things that aren't covered in your care and support plan.
Download our pre-paid cards FAQ (PDF 646.6KB) 
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