Skip to content

Personal budgets and best value

In this section

  1. 1
    Introduction
  2. 2
    Promoting well
  3. 3
    Safeguarding
  4. 4
    Providing information and supporting involvement
  5. 5
    Prevention and early intervention
  6. 6
    Carer's assessment
  7. 7
    Eligibility decision
  8. 8
    After the eligibility decision
  9. 9
    Personal budgets and best value
  10. 10
    Planning and reviewing carer support arrangements
  1. 11
    Direct payments
  2. 12
    Transition to adult social care (child's carers/ young carer's assessments)
  3. 13
    Social Care records
  4. 14
    Emergency Planning
  5. 15
    Concerns and complaints
  6. 16
    Implementing, monitoring and reviewing policy
  7. 17
    Appendix 1 - definition of terms
  8. 18
    Appendix 2 - legal context
  9. 19
    Policy Details

Care and Support Statutory Guidance 

10.27   In determining how to meet needs, the local authority may also take into reasonable consideration its own finances and budgetary position, and must comply with its related public law duties. This includes the importance of ensuring that the funding available to the local authority is sufficient to meet the needs of the entire local population. The local authority may reasonably consider how to balance that requirement with the duty to meet the eligible needs of an individual in determining how an individual’s needs should be met (but not whether those needs are met). However, the local authority should not set arbitrary upper limits on the costs it is willing to pay to meet needs through certain routes – doing so would not deliver an approach that is person-centred or compatible with public law principles. The authority may take decisions on a case-by-case basis which weigh up the total costs of different potential options for meeting needs, and include the cost as a relevant factor in deciding between suitable alternative options for meeting needs. This does not mean choosing the cheapest option; but the one which delivers the outcomes desired for the best value.

9.1   The council has a duty to achieve best value when meeting carer support needs and will take cost effectiveness into account including using low or no cost options when deciding between suitable options for meeting needs. 

9.2   Where the council has agreed to meet a carer’s support needs, we will estimate the cost of meeting needs based on their assessment. This is known as an indicative budget. 

9.3   The actual cost of meeting the carer’s needs (their personal budget) will be agreed on a case by case basis. The personal budget will:

  • be sufficient to meet the carer’s needs
  • take into account their reasonable preferences about how they wish their needs to be met
  • be reviewed if their needs or circumstances change  

9.4   Some carers may have options to exceed what the council considers necessary to meet needs. For example, carers may use their own funds to top up their personal budget or family members may provide additional support for the carer or pay a financial top up.

Last reviewed:
Previous After the eligibility decision Next Planning and reviewing carer support arrangements