Guide to your Direct Payments Prepaid Card

Transcription

1 Guide to your Direct Payments Prepaid Card This is a step by step guide to assist you in setting up and managing your Direct Payments current account and Prepaid card. Here are a few details to get you started: Your Prepaid card has a unique sort code and account number; it operates the same as a bank account. This guide includes key screen shots of the card s website to help you use your card. You can also get help to use your card on the phone. For further help to use your card you can contact APS (Advanced Payments Solutions), their contact details are as follows: Website : click on the member s area Telephone : The helpline is called the Cashplus Prepaid MasterCard helpline The helpline is charged at 10p per minute from a BT landline (you can use your Direct Payments administration budget to cover these costs) For further information on the card please see the Social Services Direct Payments User Guide If you are a Direct Payments employer and need support with working out how much to pay your personal assistants (PAs) and other costs, you can contact Islington s Direct Payments Team on or via an to [email protected] 1

2 Summary of Key Steps 1/ Once your support plan and start date are agreed, you will receive your Prepaid card, PIN number and security code (page 4) 2/ You will need to register your Prepaid card by activating your card on-line or by phone (page 5) 3/ Islington Social Services pays your direct payments onto the card, so you can start to use the money to pay for your support and services. 4/ You pay your weekly assessed contribution (if applicable) onto the card by standing order or bank transfer on-line/over the phone or over the counter at a post office for example. (page 7/8) 5/ You then pay your PA s wages, or make payments for your services (as detailed in your support plan) by setting up a standing order/direct debit or bank transfer on-line/ over the phone, or by chip and PIN (page 9/11) 6/ You check your balance and transactions online, or by phone (page 12) Glossary Security code - This is an 8 digit security code, which you will be issued with when you receive your card. You ll need your security code to: Activate your card Register for the Cashplus Members Area Quickly confirm who you are with APS Customer Services PIN - Just like a Bank Account, your personal 4 digit PIN will be used when you make purchases at point of sale or to check your balance at an ATM. Please note, you cannot withdraw cash. Be sure to memorise your PIN, never disclose it and use with caution. Registration - This is the process of registering for the Members Area so that you can access your account Online. Activation - This is the process of activating your card, so that you can start using it. This can be done by calling our automated phone service or via the Online Members Area. 2

3 Direct Debit - Is a financial transaction in which one person withdraws funds from another person's bank account. Formally, the person who directly draws the funds ("the payee") instructs his or her bank to collect (i.e.debit) an amount directly from another's ("the payer's") bank account. Standing order - a standing order instruction is initiated by the payer. A standing order involves fixed payment amounts paid periodically, while a direct debit can be of any amount and can be casual or periodic. 3

4 Step 1 - You receive your Prepaid card, PIN number and security code You will be issued with your Pre-paid card PIN number and 8 digit security code Please keep your pre-paid card in a safe place; and do not share your PIN number, or your 8 digit security code, with anyone else. GO TO STEP 2A OR STEP 2B 4

5 Step 2A - You can register your Prepaid card by activating it on-line Once you have received your card and security code you will need to activate your card. You can do so on-line using the following link: Step 2B - Or you can activate your card by phone You will need to phone the number on the back of your card and follow the prompts of the automated phone system to activate your card. This can be done 24 hours a day. GO TO STEP 3 5

6 Step 3 - Islington Social Services make a payment onto your card. Islington Social Services will make 4-weekly payments, of your agreed Direct Payments amount, onto your card. Payments are generally made 4 weekly in advance (unless a separate agreement has been made). You can view payments made onto your card by Social Services (known as Credit) and payments made to pay for your support / providers /staff (known as Debit). It s just like a bank account statement. GO TO STEP 4A or 4B 6

7 Step 4A - You pay your weekly assessed contribution (if applicable) onto the card on-line. You can do this by setting up a standing order, or making a bank transfer online or over the phone. Please note that this payment needs to come from your own private bank account onto your prepaid card account. Or Step 4B - You pay your weekly assessed contribution (if applicable) onto the card at the Post Office or at an accredited top-up partner shop You can pay money onto the card in person at an accredited shop or at the Post Office. If you go to the website and press on the store locator button on the top right of the screen, you can put in a postcode and find the closest top-up partner shop or Post Office where you can pay your assessed charge or contribution onto your card. If you pay cash onto the card at the post office the money goes on to the card/account the next working day. GO TO STEP 5 Step 5 - You make payments for your support. Now that your card is set up, you will need to start making payments for the support you receive. You can make these payments by standing order, direct debit or bank transfer online. You can also make payments over the phone, or by chip and PIN. If you are an employer, the Direct Payments Team can help you calculate these costs (please see contact details on page 1) COSTS There is a charge for each transaction made by direct debit, standing order or individual payments direct to other bank accounts online this is 35p per transaction. There is an additional 65p charge if you use the APS helpline to make a transaction over the phone ( 1 plus the separate cost of the phone call). 7

8 You will need to budget for these potential weekly costs when you complete your support plan costings as these transaction costs will be deducted directly from your card / personal budget balance. 8

9 5A - This is an example of the webpage when you need to pay a PA or personal assistant, or an individual that provides you with a service or support 9

10 5B - This shows the webpages when you need to pay a company, like a domiciliary care agency or payroll company or employers liability insurance company 10

11 5C - Managing Direct Debits This is the webpage you need to view when you set up a direct debit 5D - Managing Standing Orders This is the webpage you need to view when you set up a standing order 11

12 Step 6A - Checking your balance and transactions online or by phone 12

13 Or you can ring the Cashplus Prepaid Card Mastercard helpline on to check your balance and make transactions. 6B - If you believe a transaction has been made without your permission you will need to complete the information on this screen If a card is lost, stolen or you suspect it is being used in an unauthorised manner call APS immediately on APS will take immediate action to protect the money in the Account. END OF GUIDE 13