FOI Request - Payments for Service Users

Request 101003386525

The FOI request is based around Direct Payments, prepaid cards, cash and voucher options that the council has for Residents, Service Users and Staff.  Please note the follow are areas that commonly use these services, but not limited to:-

• Direct Payments
• Client Financial Affairs (The Council acting as Corporate Appointee and property & affairs Deputy
• No Recourse to Public funds
• Finance – Petty Cash Cards
• Care Agencies – In House or External
• Adult or Children Social Care – Emergency Cards
• Household Support Payments



1. Do you currently use a PrePaid card or other type of card provider, and if so what is the provider's name?
2. What date does the current contract expire?
3. What is the name, E-Mail Address & phone number of the person and team that manages the Contract?
4. Which services within the Council or associated partners have a programme or platform with the provider?
5. How much does each card cost?
6. What transaction costs are there and how much are they?
7. What is the annual cost or upper limit to the council?

8. Does the Council have a functioning cashier counter to enable cash to be paid out?

9. Do you use a provider to enable Service Users or Residents to collect cash, receive a text message or barcode, and if so what is their name?
10. When does this contract end?
11. What is the name, E-Mail Address & phone number of the person and team that manages the Contract?
12. Which services within the Council or associated partners use this provider?
13. How much does each payment cost?
14. What is the annual cost or upper limit to the council?

15. Do you use a provider to enable Service Users or Residents to send and receive shopping vouchers by text message or bar codes or other ways, and if so what is their name?
16. When does this contract end?
17. What is the name, E-Mail Address & phone number of the person and team that manages the Contract?
18. Which services within the Council or associated partners use this provider?
19. How much does each voucher cost?
20. What is the annual cost or upper limit to the council?

21. Does the Council use a third party to manage Direct Payment Managed accounts, if so who?
22. What Services do they provide on behalf of the council?
23. When does the contract end?
24. What is the name, E-Mail Address & phone number of the person and team that manages the Contract?
25. How much does each service cost?
26. What is the annual cost or upper limit to the council?

27. Does the Council offer payroll services for Direct Payment employers and their employees?
28. What is the name, E-Mail Address & Contact number of the person and team that is the lead?
29. How many staff deal with the payroll?
30. What annual cost is there to the council for the payroll staff?
£50,000 - £60,000
£60,000 - £70,000
£70,000 - £80,000
£80,000 - £90,000
Other

Response 27-09-2023

1. The Council do not use prepaid cards, but we do use corporate purchasing cards from Lloyds.  

2. 1/1/24

3. Payments Manager c/o Payments Section, email: pcards@moray.gov.uk           

4. Corporate purchasing cards are available to all staff, where appropriate.    

5. No cost to issue a card, expenditure is collected by direct debit the following month.

6. No transaction costs – but a rebate is provided on each transaction.   

7. Total spend for FY 22/23 is £2.4M, est 19,000 transactions

8. No – petty cash cheques are presented at the bank  

9. No

10.-14. Not applicable

15. No

16.-20. Not applicable

21. Yes, Accountability, Barrie Bookkeeping, Fife Business Services

22. Payroll, payment of care invoices, uploads to HMRC, pension auto-enrolment

23. We do not have a direct contract with the providers, each DP recipient who chooses a managed account has an individual contract between themselves and their chosen provider.  We have an approved payroll provider list (due for renewal)      

24. We do not have a contract with the providers as per Q23            
25. There is a weekly cost for each package who utilises a managed account of £7.50.  The individual can then exercise their choice as to the provider they wish to contract with.  There is no guaranteed income to the providers on the approved list

26. This cost is included within the individuals SDS Personal Budget.             

27. The council do not offer a payroll service in-house for DP employers.  This is delivered through DP Managed Accounts (Approved Payroll Providers)     

28.-30. Not applicable