GIVE THEM THE MONEY - IS CASH A ROUTE TO EMPOWERMENT

This article suggests it is important to unpack the notion of ''empowe rment'' in community care so that the position of those who provide '' hands-on'' care is scrutinised alongside the empowerment of ''users'' of care. The particular case of the forthcoming Direct Payments legisl ation, whereby disabled people will be able to opt for cash rather tha n services and become employers of personal assistants, is considered. It is argued that both employers and employees in these care relation ships are likely to be on low incomes, that the work is likely to be i nsecure and possibly unregulated, that there might be a problem of lab our supply, and that in the long run, this form of employment might ge nerate hardship for the workers so employed. Other forms of reconcilin g the interests of both users and ''carers'' are considered.