Direct Payments
Prepaid Card
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Direct Payment - 5 key improvements….
 Review and streamlining of procedures for staff
 Framework agreement for Support Agencies
 Finance Team to offer advisory support to staff
 Finance Team/Social Care staff – joint working with
citizens
 Implementation of prepaid card
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What is a prepaid card?
 Debit card – exactly the same as a personal bank account
card or direct payment bank account card
 It can do everything a bank card can do
 Account number unique to citizens
 Council will pay DP every 4 weeks onto the account
 Citizens can then use the account/prepaid card to pay for
services in relation to their care and support
 Does everything a DP account does – but no cheque book!
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Why is the Council implementing prepaid cards?
 Better ways of working:
 Government desire for monitoring to be ‘light touch’
 Quicker to set up – no need to open separate bank
account
 Financial benefits:
 Reduces cost of administering monitoring
 Improves recovery rate
 Recognise good practise from other Councils
 At February 2016, over 100 Councils are already using
prepaid cards
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What can a prepaid card do for citizens?
 Freedom to arrange care how they choose
 No need to handle cash
 Access to better prices – payment by direct debit or online
 Quicker access to funds
 Easier monitoring – no returns!
 Easy to use online system – view real time transactions
 Telephone support – to access balances and transaction history
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How will citizens receive their card?
 ACF0900 and DP prepaid card agreement to be signed
when you meet with citizens
 Return ACF 0900 to CSAO and DP prepaid card
agreement to Direct Payment Finance Team (CFS)
 CFS will open account and arrange for card to be issued
 Carrier delivers card to citizen
 Citizen will need to register card
 Citizen will need to activate the pin number
 Citizen will be issued with a step by step user guide
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What next?
 Once the card has been activated, payments will be made
to the account and citizen can use the card to pay for
services
 Financial monitoring will be completed by the Direct
Payment Finance Team
 Discrepancies will be resolved with the citizen by the
Direct Payment Finance Team/Social Work staff through
robust joint working
 Existing clients will be encouraged to move to payment
card
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