EHC: Personal Budgets and Direct Payments (for EHC Plans) - WNC

A Personal Budget for education is an allocated amount of money from a child's Education, Health, and Care (EHC) Plan. It allows families to have more control over how services and support are purchased. It is available for children with EHC Plans to fund the special educational provision specified in Section F of the Plan.

The Personal Budget can be delivered as a Direct Payment. This is when money is given to the parent or young person to manage. Alternatively, the money can be held by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), the school, or another provider to arrange the services on the family's behalf.

How the Direct Payment Process Works

Step 1: Requesting a Personal Budget - Your child’s caseworker will submit a request for funding. This must be approved by a funding panel.

Step 2: Choosing How You Receive the Money - Once funding is approved, your caseworker will talk to you about how you’d like to receive the money.

Option A: Prepayment Card - You’ll need to meet with your caseworker in person to confirm your identity. You’ll need to show photo ID and proof of address. Your caseworker will complete a form confirming these checks and send it to the Direct Payments team.

• Pre-Paid Card activating instructions (PDF 559KB)

• Pre-Paid Card FAQs (PDF 274KB)

Option B: Bank Transfer - for larger amounts, you’ll need to open a dedicated bank account. For small one-off payments, your existing account will be fine.

Step 3: Request Sent to Direct Payments - The Education Commissioning Team will send the funding request to the Direct Payments team within 3 working days of approval.

Step 4: Confirmation Letter - You’ll receive a letter from the Education Commissioning Team explaining what support has been agreed and how much funding you’ll receive.

Step 5: Contract Sent - The Direct Payments team will send you a contract within 10 working days of receiving the request.

Step 6: Sign and Return the Contract - You’ll need to sign the contract and return it to the Direct Payments team.

Step 7: Funds Released - Once the signed contract is received, the Direct Payments team will release the funds to your prepayment card or bank account. This normally happens within 10 working days.

Step 8: Keeping Records - You’ll need to keep records to show how the money is spent. This may include invoices, receipts, and bank statements.

Your Responsibilities as a Parent

If you choose to manage any part of your child’s personal budget:

• You are responsible for arranging the support
• You must ensure the support is safe, suitable, and meets your child’s needs

Important Notes

The full process can take up to 23 days.

To avoid delays, it’s best to request all funding in one application. You will need to sign a new contract each year if you continue with Direct Payments.

If your bank account details change, you must inform the Direct Payments team immediately.