The impact of individual budgets on the targeting of support: findings from a national evaluation of pilot projects in England

Individual or personal budgets are part of a growing international trend to encourage greater choice and control over social care services at a time of financial austerity. The authors' evaluation of individual budgets found that levels of allocated resources reflected a range of factors, including informal or carer support and disability levels. Furthermore, individual budgets were found to be cost-neutral compared with conventional social care delivery.