Direct Payment Fact Sheet What is a Managed Account Service? A Managed Account Service is a way to get additional help and support for you to manage the administration of Knowsley direct payments scheme A Managed Account Service ensures that no one is excluded from the chance to have direct payments to manage a personal budget for their care and support needs. Who provides the service? KDC runs a Managed Account Service for people who use Direct Payments in Knowsley, but there are a range of providers for a Managed Account Service across the country. A member of our Direct Payments team will visit you at home to explain the process in detail and ensure that the service is tailored for your needs. What does the service cover? KDC’s Managed Account Service covers the tasks involved in setting up a bank account, making sure that your direct payments are received and are correct and making all of the necessary payments out to PA’s, agencies and other providers of your care and support services. Here is a list of the usual tasks that the service covers: * Setting up a dedicated bank account in your name * Receiving all your direct payments and making sure they are correct * Paying your PA wages, your care agency fees and any other bills * Paying all amounts due to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) * Keeping a record of all the income received and payments made * Providing you with a statement showing all transactions * Dealing with the Council’s audit and inspection checks Can I have a managed account service? If you are already using Direct Payments or thinking about changing to Direct Payments and you are unable to manage the administration yourself, or do not have anyone close to you to help, then you should be able to receive the service. If you pay for your care and support privately, you can use the Managed Account Service to help you manage all of the payments and keep track of the costs. How much will the service cost me? There is a weekly fee charged for the service which is normally covered in your personal budget/direct payment. For people who use the Managed Account Service under private arrangements, the fee is paid monthly by standing order. What happens about my Client Contribution? Under Knowsley Fairer Charging Policy, everyone will have a financial assessment and some people will have been informed by the Council that they must make a contribution towards the costs of their care package funded by their direct payment. If you receive a Managed Account Service, your client contribution must be paid to KDC. We will record this as income on your direct payments account and show it on the monthly statement. Can I still organise my care and support needs myself? If you receive a Managed Account Service, you will still be making all the decisions about how your direct payment is spent to meet your assessed needs. You will remain in control. All you will need to remember to do is inform us about any changes affecting the payments we make on your behalf, for example, alterations in the hours worked by your PA or a change in the agency providing your care. How do I get a Managed Account Service? There are several ways to access the Managed Account Service: * ask your social worker at the time of your support planning meeting * contact the Knowsley Access Team (KAT) on 0151 443 2600 and explain why you need a Managed Account Service * ring us here at KDC on 0151 480 8873 and we will look at your case and advise you Once you have decided to have a Managed Account Service, and, where necessary, funding has been approved by your social worker, we will ask you to sign a Letter of Agreement which sets out the details of the service we provide and describes what you need to do and your responsibilities. What about dealings with HM Revenue and Customs? We will deal with all of your responsibilities for tax and national insurance, year-end returns and issuing P60’s etc. The Managed Account Service comes under the Government’s regulations for money laundering and to comply with these regulations, we have to carry out a simple identity check on all of our customers. This involves us having sight of proof of identity (such as a passport, driver’s license or benefits letter) plus proof of residency such as a bank statement, utility bill, or credit card statement. This can be provided to us during the visit to discuss the service and we will help you with this. Remember, if you are unsure, have any queries or need additional support; please contact the Direct Payments Team here at KDC. Telephone: 0151 480 8873 Email: colette.salt@kdc.org.uk You can find this Fact sheet along with others covering a variety of topics by visiting us at www.kdc.org.uk Page 3 of 3 Direct Payments Fact Sheet # 6 – Managed Accounts Service August 2017