What is a Personal Health Budget?
A plain-English introduction to PHBs — what they are, who they're for, and how families can use them to arrange more personal, more consistent support.
A Personal Health Budget — usually shortened to PHB — is an amount of NHS money allocated to support someone's individual health and wellbeing needs. The defining feature isn't the money itself; it's the choice and control that comes with it.
What a PHB is — in plain English
A PHB is agreed between the NHS (usually through Continuing Healthcare or a children's continuing care team) and the person or family it's for. Together you write a support plan, which sets out the outcomes the budget should help achieve and how it will be used.
- It is NHS funding, not a benefit and not means-tested.
- It is built around outcomes — what good support looks like for that person.
- It can be managed by the NHS, by a third party, or directly by the family.
- It can be used flexibly, within the agreed plan.
Who PHBs are for
PHBs are most commonly used by people receiving NHS Continuing Healthcare, children with continuing care needs, people with long-term mental health needs, and people with complex disabilities. Eligibility is decided by the NHS, not by HBS.
How families typically use a PHB
Choosing the people who come into the home, rather than relying on a rotating agency rota.
Building a small, stable team that knows the person well.
Shaping support around routines, school, work and family life.
Investing in training that's specific to the person's needs.
Direct payments and the family's role
Many families take their PHB as a direct payment, which means the funding is paid into a separate account and the family becomes the employer or engager of independent carers. This brings real choice — and real responsibility. It's why most families benefit from support around recruitment, verification and onboarding.
Common questions
HBS is an onboarding and verification platform. We help PHB families connect with verified independent carers, and support the training and competency development that makes introductions calmer. Carers operate independently, and families direct ongoing care arrangements directly.