Your financial assessment for community services including home care
Find out if you're eligible to get a financial assessment and what we take into account when we work out how much you'll pay.
Your savings and assets
If you have savings over £23,250
If you have savings over £23,250, you'll have to pay the full cost for your care services.
If you're already paying for care with savings soon to fall below £23,250, you can ask the council for a needs assessment.
If you have less than £23,250
If you have eligible care needs and savings less than £23,250, you may have to pay a charge equal to part, or all of the care costs. This will depend on your circumstances and applied from the provision start date.
Get help to pay for your care
You may be entitled to extra state benefits to help with care costs, even if you have savings. We can help with these claims.
Paying the full cost of care
If you’re assessed to pay the full cost of your care, you can still ask the council to help set up care under the council’s contract. You’ll receive invoices directly from the care agency.
There is a £346 charge for the initial set-up and an ongoing fee, currently £109 per year.
To work out how much you will pay, we consider the following
The level and type of care you need
This is your assessed needs for care.
Your capital
This includes things like your savings, premium bonds and trust funds. Total capital between £14,250 and £23,250 is included in the calculation. Some capital is disregarded, for example, personal injury trusts.
Investments and property
The value of your main residence will not be taken into account. If you own or have a share in any other property, the value will usually be counted towards your total savings and investments.
Your income from pensions and benefits
Almost all income is considered as part of your financial assessment, including most state benefits. We disregard employment earnings, Mobility Allowance and war pensions.
Housing costs
We will include certain housing costs, for example, rent, council tax and water rates.
Disability costs
We will ask you to list any expenditure that particularly relates to your disability and this will be assessed when calculating the amount of your charge. You may be required to provide evidence of this expenditure. We call this disability-related expenses.
A set living allowance
A set living allowance of £233 per week (£178 per week for one of a couple).
Assessment for couples
You will be assessed on your own resources including 50% of joint accounts and any beneficial interest in savings held by your partner or other persons. If there is evidence of a different percentage share this will be considered.
Where state benefits are paid at the couple rate, consideration is given to both partners’ financial position.
Assessments will usually reference all income, savings and expenditure of the household and half of a couple’s eligible household expenditure will usually be allowed.
Your future financial assessments
Financial assessments are normally reviewed each year to take account of increases in benefits and any other changes in your financial circumstances.