Care can be expensive. Most people pay some, or all, of their care costs themselves.
If you have investments and/or savings above £23,250 you will pay the full cost for your care. This is known to us as a ‘Self-funder’.
If you have savings between £14,250 and £23,250 we may be able to make a contribution to your care fees. This will be looked at as part of the financial assessment however we may be able to reduce the fee you pay. If you are going into a permanent residential care, the value of your house is usually taken into account too.
You will have many questions in relation to charging and it can be overwhelming.
To avoid this initially and in short; as soon as your care needs have been assessed and services commence, someone from Focus Finance will be notified to arrange to carry out an assessment of your financial circumstances.
We will go through the process together to make sure you understand what is taken into account and we will also check you are getting all of the benefits you are entitled to.
Last year we undertook over 3000 Financial assessments.
For more information and examples of our work please see below or give us a call 0300 330 2910.
Financial Work
- Individual identified as requiring a home care package, an agency is to visit twice a day
- Their savings are £9,000 so a financial assessment is offered to determine a contribution to their care fees. If the financial assessment is refused, the individual has to pay the full cost of their care
- A home visit is arranged to undertake the assessment by an appropriately trained focus employee in relation to finance
- Individual advises they live alone, we review the benefit award letters, bank statements and all evidence relating to income and capital and then discuss allowable expenditure
- Attendance allowance was being received so we discussed disability related expenditure, which means these expenses can be considered if they are an unmet care need and used to offset any contribution due for care
- During the assessment it was determined the individual should be entitled to Severe Disability premium, we made a referral to the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP). Once awarded the financial assessment is re-calculated and the change in benefits is backdated as required and the contribution changes
- Outcome of financial assessment sent by post and 4 weekly invoices or standing order payments commence.
You can find more information about Charging and Financial Assessments within our Social Care Handbook here. We recommend you read this handbook carefully. You can also call us on 0300 330 2910.
Age UK also provide an independent perspective that you may find useful however, all charging policies are different and the Finance team will give information on how you are directly affected.
Why is there a contribution?
The Care Act 2014 is the law that covers social care charging, and it offers guidance on what services can be paid for by a person. No one will pay more than the Government says they can afford to pay.
How it’s calculated
There is a local document called a ‘Charging Policy’ which you can find a link to below that details how care contributions are calculated.
In most circumstances this is based on your income and some expenditure which then in turn arrives at a figure that is used to see if you need to pay a contribution.
How to get independent advice
Care can become expensive over time. Most people pay towards their care costs. You can get advice from an independent financial adviser before making any decisions and we strongly recommend you ensure they are regulated by the correct body if they are giving you certain advice.
You must not dispose of any capital or assets once you know you may need care or support. This could impact on the amount you pay towards your care.
Council charging policies
The North East Lincolnshire Council and policies in relation to charging can be found online below:
Charging and Financial Assessment for Adult Care and Support Services Policy (2023-2024)
Adult Social Care Charging Policy Impact Assessment (Revised Feb 2022)