Leicestershire County Council’s adult social care payments team will pilot split direct debits for carer-funded respite vouchers from 1 October, allowing families to charge half of a monthly contribution to a second account—typically a grown child’s—while the primary carer keeps mortgage and utility payments on the original mandate, according to a service change notice posted Friday and reviewed by InfoHandle. The move targets “sandwich” households: parents in their forties supporting teenagers while also managing care packages for a frail parent under section 117 aftercare or means-tested home support.
Why the default direct debit hurt
Until now, a single direct debit pulled the council’s client contribution for day-centre respite and sit-in hours in one lump sum on the first working day of the month. Carers UK’s local survey data, cited in the council cabinet paper, showed 34 percent of Leicestershire respondents skipped their own GP appointments when that debit bounced or left less than £200 buffer for food. That is a household cash-flow problem, not a refusal to pay—assessments had already capped contributions at affordable rates.
Splitting debits does not reduce the legal liability on the assessed client; it only changes which account pays. Both signatories must pass basic credit checks the council already runs for continuous payment authorities.
How vouchers interact with the split
Respite vouchers in Leicestershire are electronic credits redeemed at approved providers—domiciliary agencies and some charity day centres—not paper coupons. When a carer tops up hours beyond the free entitlement, the top-up posts to the ledger before the debit runs. Under the pilot, account A pays the statutory contribution; account B pays optional top-ups up to a ceiling carers set online. If account B fails, services suspend top-up hours only, not the core package—an distinction the payments team emphasized after early confusion in call-centre scripts.
Law and custom
Carer’s Allowance remains payable to one named carer and is not divisible by direct debit rules. Splitting council debits does not create a formal power of attorney; siblings who sign account B still need a separate EPA or LPA for clinical decisions. The council’s legal note says the pilot sits under its ordinary payment regulations, not a new statute—important for families who worry about precedent in inheritance disputes.
Who qualifies and what to bring
Households already on contribution plans with more than £150 monthly client payments may opt in online or at County Hall counters in Leicester, Loughborough, and Coalville. Bring the carer assessment reference, both bank account numbers, and photo ID. The pilot caps at 400 households through March so IT can test file formats with BACS.
What is unknown is whether other East Midlands councils will mirror the file layout; banking APIs differ. For Leicestershire carers, the actionable change is dated: two-account debits start October, voucher top-ups can ride on a child’s account, and missed payments should no longer automatically threaten the mortgage account if splits are configured correctly.
