Personal budgets

Your 'personal budget' is the total cost of the care services that we agree you need after an assessment.
 

If you are eligible for care and support from the council, we will complete a financial assessment. This assessment will help us work out how much you will need to pay towards your care. You can find out more about paying for your care here.

If you are eligible for financial support from the council, we will develop a care and support plan and personal budget. We'll first agree an 'indicative budget'. This is an estimate of what we think you will need to meet your care and support needs. We will also discuss how you to plan use it (see our guidance below). We will use the indicative budget to develop your care and support plan, but this will need final approval.

Once we have approved your care and support plan, this will tell you your approved personal budget.

How you can use a personal budget

You need to use your personal budget to pay for the care and support agreed in your care and support plan.

You can use a personal budget in three different ways. You can:

• take your personal budget as a direct payment - you and your care professional will agree this in your care and support plan
• ask West Berkshire Council to arrange, manage and pay for your support (this is called a commissioned service)
• choose a combination of both direct payment and commissioned services

Personal budgets are for social care needs. There is a separate system called Personal Health Budgets, run by the NHS, for people with long-term health issues and disabilities.