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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