Supported Virtual Wallet Accounts In Southampton

Councils change the organisations that they contract with to provide services from time-to-time. SCC have contracted PPL to provide supported Virtual Wallet accounts as part of wider changes to how direct payments are delivered across the council. 

PPL is a direct payments support service organisation. Established in 2008, PPL already work with several councils, such as Hampshire, Devon and Buckinghamshire.

PPL have been working with SCC since 1st April 2024. 

You can find more information at www.peopleplaceslives.co.uk.

Virtual Wallet is PPL’s solution for managing direct payments. Funds from the council are credited to each individual’s Virtual Wallet account (along with any client contributions or top-up). The individual’s care and support is managed via Virtual Wallet, which then makes payments to the individual’s PAs and providers.

Individuals can manage their Virtual Wallet themselves - or PPL can provide a ‘supported account’ service, which is basically the same as the ‘managed account’ service that you are used to.

The Virtual Wallet solution is safe and secure, and trusted by thousands of people to manage their direct payment.

Most of the changes are behind the scenes. The care and support that you arrange via your direct payment will not be affected.

Any unused balance that you have in your  managed account will be transferred across to your Virtual Wallet supported account.

Any payroll arrangements that you have will not change at this time.

If you make a client contribution or top-up, you will need to start sending this to a different bank account. PPL will provide you with the details of this nearer the time.

One benefit is that you or someone who helps you look after your direct payments, will be able to log in to your Virtual Wallet account at any time (using a computer or phone) to check your statement.

If you formally employ a personal assistant, none of the employment arrangements change.

Your PA will continue to submit timesheets to your payroll provider to the schedule agreed, and they will continue to perform the payroll calculations, produce payslips and answer any payroll-related queries that you or your PA have.

The payroll provider will  inform PPL what amounts need to be paid, and PPL will then process the payments from your Virtual Wallet supported account. Your PA's will need to be registered on the Virtual Wallet to receive payments from us. 

It will be helpful if you can mention the change to Virtual Wallet to your providers or PAs, and encourage them to visit: www.myvirtualwallet.co.uk/southampton/providers.

The PPL team will be setting up your Virtual Wallet account when instructed by SCC. This includes onboarding any providers or PAs that support you, so that PPL can ensure that they are paid on-time.

It will be helpful if you can mention the change to Virtual Wallet to your providers or PAs, and encourage them to visit: www.myvirtualwallet.co.uk/southampton/providers.

The link above will enable them to register and share all the details that PPL need to set them up on Virtual Wallet.

Most of the information that PPL need to setup your Virtual Wallet account will be shared with us by the council. The team at PPL may contact you to collect any information we require.