Money Matters
This section will provide information on the various benefits and financial support available for children and young people with SEND and also for their parents and carers.
This section will provide information on the various benefits and financial support available for children and young people with SEND and also for their parents and carers.
This information relates to Personal Budgets for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
A Personal Budget is an amount of money identified to support the delivery of all or some of the outcomes set out in an EHCP(Education, Health and Care Plan). A Personal Education Budget enables the support offered to the child or young person to be further personalised.
The following have a right to ask for and EHCP Personal Budget
The potential scope for an EHCP Personal Budget will be identified during the EHC planning and review process considering the views, findings and recommendations of the contributing professionals, discussion with parent carers and the child and young person via a Team Around the Child (TAC) planning meeting or annual review meeting, overseen by a Lead Professional or SEN Principal Officer.
The scope for a Special Educational Needs Personal Budget will not include the financial resource available to education settings, which funds pupil places (Element 1); nor will it include targeted support managed by the education setting (Element 2) which offers additional learning support to individuals, classes or groups of pupils and students.
There are different payment options available.
If the option of a direct payment is preferred and chosen, you can opt for a pre-paid card. The prepaid card is a flexible, fast and convenient way to manage your account. Payments will be made to the card account every 4 weeks in your card is only to be used to pay for support which has been agreed and is detailed in your Education Health Care plan. For more information with regards to the pre-paid card, click here. (Hyperlink to Pre-Paid Factsheet)
Everyone receiving NHS Continuing Healthcare (including Children’s Continuing Care) has a right to have a Personal Health Budget, which may include the option of a direct payment. The Birmingham CCGs are working with families to find the best way to offer Personal Health Budgets alongside Council funded Personal Budgets to deliver services agreed in EHCPs.
No, Personal budgets are not a “benefit” so it would not affect any other social security benefits you may receive.
No, personal budgets and direct payments are not classed as income so you don’t pay tax.
If you decide to have the money paid to and managed by yourself you will need to:
Any issues with the support provided should be discussed at a transfer review, an annual review or during the needs assessment process. If there are major changes to a child’s or young person’s needs a parent should request a review in the normal way. Personal budgets are not designed to address provision issues in this way.
You can also get further information, advice and direct support from the LA commissioned support organisations:
For more information and advice about requesting a personal budget you should contact SENCO at your Child’s school who will be able to discuss with you further the next steps. The Parent link service on 0121 303 8461 and parentlinkservice@birmingham.gov.uk, will also offer help and support on next steps and supporting you with getting the right professionals involved.