Commentary on Sections Section 5 – Choice of options: adults
16.Section 5 applies to adults provided with support by an authority following an assessment under section 12A of the 1968 Act (commonly known as a “community care assessment”) (subsection (1)).
17.Subsection (2) places a duty on the local authority to offer the four options to adults who have been assessed under section 12A of the 1968 Act as needing a service, unless that adult is ineligible for direct payments. The grounds for ineligibility for direct payments will be provided for in regulations made under section 15.
18.Subsections (3) and (6) make provision for what the local authority must do if they consider the supported person ineligible to receive direct payments. If the local authority deem the supported person ineligible for direct payments, the local authority is required to inform the supported person in writing and, if necessary, such other form as is appropriate of the reason why they are deemed ineligible and inform them that they may seek a review of that decision if there is a material change in their circumstances relevant to that decision (see section 12).
19.Subsection (3)(b) requires the authority to give the person a choice of the remaining eligible options for self-directed support (Options 2, 3 and, in so far as the person is eligible, Option 4).
20.Subsection (4) places a duty on the local authority to inform the supported person of (a) the amount of funding available under the options and (b) the period to which the funding relates.
21.Subsection (5) provides that that if the supported person makes no choice then they are deemed to have chosen Option 3, whereby the local authority selects the support and makes arrangements on the person’s behalf in order to meet their assessed needs. Subsection (7) provides that an individual is ineligible to receive direct payments if they are a person described in regulations under section 15(2)(a).