EHCP Personal Budgets

How do I apply for an EHCP personal budget?  

Parents, carers, or a young person aged 16 to 25 can ask for a personal budget. This can be done when:

• an EHCP is being written
• an EHCP is being reviewed such as at a review meeting

Speak with your child’s caseworker to request a personal budget.  

What can an EHCP Personal Budget be spent on? 

An EHCP personal budget can be spent on:

• employing a personal assistant (PA) who can:
  • accompany them to access an activity or service
  • work within the home to give parents and siblings a break
  • stay overnight to give parents a break
• a registered childminder (for children aged under 8)
• purchasing care and support services from an approved agency
• after school clubs or holiday play schemes
• residential overnight breaks
• buying specialist equipment not provided by the NHS
• special educational provision mentioned in an EHCP
• transport costs
• occasional short breaks when agreed by the Local Authority

An EHCP personal budget must not be spent on:

• services from a spouse
• services from a partner or close relative living in the household
• employing someone without a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
• employing someone subject to a drug or alcohol treatment requirement, youth rehabilitation order or released on licence
• permanent residential accommodation  

Who receives and manages an EHCP personal budget?  

There are three different options for managing an EHCP personal budget: 

A direct payment can give more choice, flexibility, and control. You can employ workers at times convenient to you. Or you can choose services that you consider meet your child’s needs.  

However, for a direct payment to be given we must be satisfied that:

• the young person, parents or nominated person can manage the direct payment themselves
• the young person, parents or nominated person will use the money appropriately
• It is the best way to arrange support or services

We will let you know if we decide not to make a direct payment. We will let you know the reason for our decision. You can request us to review the decision.  

Are direct payments monitored? 

We will monitor and review how direct payments are used: 

• at least once within the first 3 months
• when we review an EHCP
• when we reassess an EHCP   

How often are direct payments made?  

An EHCP personal budget can be a one-off payment or given every 4 weeks. The money will be sent into a bank account set up for this personal budget.  

Payments can be made at different times if needed. For example, this could be during school holidays. 

Does an EHCP personal budget affect welfare benefits? 

An EHCP personal budget is not classed as income. Therefore, it will not affect any welfare benefits you may receive.