A Third Party Supported Account (shortened to TPSA) is for those people who wish to receive a Direct Payment (DP) but, for any one of a number of reasons, would not be able to manage this themselves e.g. someone who has experienced difficulty managing money (and who now may have problems opening a new bank account), a vulnerable person who has previously been the victim of financial abuse or a person with a learning disability which is sufficient to prevent them from understanding their financial responsibilities (and who has no family to support them with this).

In these instances, your social worker or care co-ordinator will decide whether such an account is a suitable alternative to a standard DP and if so, will ask for this service on your behalf. In addition if you have an Individual Budget (IB) you could choose to ‘buy' a TPSA from Penderels Trust with some of your IB money, if you felt this would contribute to the achievement of your agreed outcomes and was included in your support plan.

How a Third Party Supported Account works

All the funding for your care package (including any contributions payable) is made to an organisation acting as a third party e.g. Penderels Trust. We arrange to pay all your agreed outgoings from the money we hold on your behalf. All transactions are monitored on a regular basis by our finance department and an independent auditor. We also ensure that both you and your social worker or care co-ordinator is kept fully informed of the status of the account as required.

You are therefore free from the worry of dealing with finances but still retain full control of the support you receive. If you would like further information on a Third-Party Supported Account, please discuss this with your Independent Living Adviser or contact us directly on 0845 0500 862.