Dear Darlington Borough Council,

1) How many of your authority's customers are in receipt of a direct payment for Care Act services, please?

2) What was the combined value of all Care Act budgets delivered through direct payments made in 2020 and 2019, please?

3) What is the median amount of a gross direct payment made on behalf of your organisation?

4) How frequently are direct payments made (i.e., weekly, fortnightly, 28 days or calendar month). Please provide a breakdown, thank you.

5) How many of your direct payment clients receive their payment into a prepaid card or managed account? Please provide a breakdown of the numbers, thank you.

6) Which prepaid card suppliers has your organisation contracted with?

7) What is the applicable contract length with these providers and when do these arrangements come up for renewal?

8) Does your organisation use prepaid cards to disburse funds to other people (i.e., asylum seekers, refugees, homeless). If so, please can you provide a breakdown of the median amount, recipient category, frequency of funds disbursed and the total value of funds made in 2020 and 2019, please?

9) Is your s151 Officer (CFO) aware of the recent £32 million GBP fine levied against Mastercard, allpay and PFS for allegedly operating a cartel in the public sector prepaid card space? Link to PSR article here: https://www.psr.org.uk/news-updates/late...

10) Has your organisation released a statement about these proceedings and if so, please can you provide it, thank you?

Yours faithfully,

John A Gelmini