Personal budgets

Local authorities are introducing personal budgets because they recognise that you are the best person to understand your own needs and how to meet them.

A personal budget is an amount of money which is available to enable you to live an independent and fulfilling life.

The whole point of personal budgets is so that you plan and pay for your won support and have as much control over your life as possible.

When your local authority has agreed what your needs are, they will tell you how much money you will have to spend. You can spend it on things like:

• Support from staff employed by a support provider
• Employing your own staff
• Social and leisure activities

You can take on as much control of your personal budget as you feel able to do. You may want a family member or an advocate to take some or even most of the responsibility for your personal budget and help you to get things arranged and organised. An organisation like us (CMG), a Service Broker, or you manager can also help you to arrange and oragise your personal services

We support many people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and complex needs to live the life they want.

We can support you with:

• Becoming a tenant of your own home
• Looking after yourself
• Looking after your home
• Shopping
• Travelling
• Choosing and accessing leisure and social activities, college placements or employment (voluntary and paid)
• Keeping in touch with friends
• Managing your money
• Keeping in touch with family

As well as personal budgets from local authorities, you may also be entitled to other benefits like Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance, Income Support and Disabled Living Allowance and we can support you with these matters.

For more information

If you would like to talk to us about personal budgets and how we can help you identify and arrange the services that you want please contact us.