Paying for Care
If you have been assessed as needing care and support, at home, in the community, or in a residential home, you will have to pay the cost of your care, unless you qualify for financial assistance.
This page will help you understand how you can pay for your care and possible financial assistance such as deferred payments, NHS Continuing Health Care Funding (CHC), NHS Nursing Care Contribution and personal budgets.
How we work out how much you pay
Unlike health services, adult social care and support services are not free of charge and most people must pay something towards the cost of their care.
What you pay will depend on your individual circumstances and the kind of care and support you need, who provides it and how often you need help. You will have to complete a financial assessment, which is a means test that takes your savings and benefits into account and works out how much, if anything, you will have to pay towards the costs.
- If you have savings above £23,250 you will pay the full costs of your care and support. You will be referred to as self-funders.
- Under £23,250 you will probably have to pay something towards the cost of your care and a means test will be required.
You can choose not to share your financial details with us. This will mean that you must pay the full cost of your care and support.
What information you will need
Before you begin to complete the financial assessment form, you will need:
- Copies of your most recent bank statements (3 months).
- Your National Insurance number.
- Details of any income, assets, and pension payments you receive.
- Details of essential expenditure, such as rent, mortgage, council tax and disability related expenditures.
- If you are completing this form on behalf of someone else, you will need to know their personal details (this includes their address and contact details) and their consent to contact us on their behalf.
Working out your contribution
As part of your financial assessment, we will look at how much income you're receiving from:
- Disability or other benefits.
- Pensions (including any Occupational Pensions)
- Savings, ISAs, Premium Bonds, or other investments.
- Earnings.
We'll also consider other capital assets you may have, including the value of your home (if you are moving into residential care), second properties, holiday homes, businesses ect.
Deferred Payment Agreements (DPA)
A Deferred Payment Agreement (DPA) helps pay your residential care costs if you can't pay in full because your capital is tied up in property. A legal charge is placed on the property to protect the council's interest.
If eligible, the Council will help to pay your care home bills on your behalf. You can delay repaying the council until you choose to sell your home, or until after your death.
Interest will be charged on the amount owed and there may be a fee for setting this arrangement up. This is to cover the costs the Council incurs in setting up your deferred payment agreement.
You should be eligible if:
1. You are receiving care in a care home, or you are going to move into one soon.
2. You own your home, unless your partner or certain others live there.
3. You have savings and investments of less than £23,250 (not including the value of your home).
The Council can refuse an application if:
- A first legal change on your property can not be secured.
- You do not have the mental capacity to agree, nor have someone properly authorised (for example, with legal power of attorney or a court appointed deputy) who can represent you.
- You do not accept our terms and conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will you take my savings into account?
When we work out how much you must pay, we do not count the first £14,250 of your savings.
For every £250, or part of, you have between £14,250 and £23,250, we add £1 a week to your income. This is called
tariff income and does not reflect the actual interest you get from your savings, which is ignored when calculating your income. If your savings are more than £23,250, you will be charged the full cost of your care.
The following examples show how this is calculated:
Example 1
You have £14,500 savings. We ignore the first £14,250. This leaves £250.
We add £1 to your weekly income.
Example 2
You have £14,750 savings. We ignore the first £14,250. This leaves £500
We add £2 to your weekly income.
Can I give away my savings or investments?
You must not give away your assets, such as cash, shares or property, in an attempt to avoid paying all or part of the charges. If you do this, we can assess you as if you still have these assets.
How will I find out how much I must pay?
The Client Finance Service will send you a letter that tells you how much you are required to contribute towards your package of care. The letter will also tell you how your weekly contribution has been calculated.
Who doesn’t pay for Care
In some circumstances you will not need to have a financial assessment and you won't have to pay towards your care and support.
You will not have to pay if you:
- receive support from Intermediate Care or Reablement Services, for example if you have a short period of care to help you after a stay in hospital.
- are receiving care and support under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 2007.
- are receiving care and support under Continuing Health Care (CHC) funding by the NHS Continuing Health Care (CHC) funding by the NHS.
- have needs which can be met by equipment or a minor adaptation, to help you to continue living at home.
Changes to your financial situation
If your financial situation changes, you'll need to tell us if there are any changes to your income or savings as we may need to do another assessment. If you don't inform us of changes in your circumstances, it could mean that you incur charges.
If your savings drop below £23,250 you may wish to contact us again for a further assessment.
If you disagree with how much you are being asked to pay, in the first instance please contact the Client Finance Service who will be able to explain how your contributions are calculated, and reassess your situation if necessary.
If, after speaking with the Client Finance Service, you are still not satisfied, you can make a formal complaint.
Contact the Client Finance Service
Call us: 0161 342 3220
Email us: adultservicesfinance@tameside.gov.uk
By post:
Client Finance Service
PO Box 304
Ashton-u-Lyne
OL6 0GA
NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding (CHC)
NHS CHC is a package of care that is arranged and funded by the NHS for a person outside of hospital who needs continuing care and support. This includes healthcare within your own home or in a care home, where care home fees including board and accommodation will be covered.
NHS CHC is continuing healthcare for adults (18+). To be eligible you must be assessed by team of healthcare professionals.
If you are eligible, funding is subject to regular reviews. Reviews are needed as if your care needs change, your funding arrangement may also change.
More information can be found through the link below or via your worker or visiting health professional.
Personal Health Budgets
A personal health budget uses NHS funding to create an individually agreed personalised care and support plan that offers you a greater choice and flexibility over how your assessed health and wellbeing needs are met.
If you are eligible, you will be given a personal health budget, and the amount of money in your personal budget is decided by us after a
needs assessment to work out:
- What kind of care and support you need.
- How much it will cost.
- How much you're able to afford yourself.
The amount of money in your personal budget can be spent in one of three ways:
- A managed account: the local authority manages your personal budget in line with your wishes as agreed in the care plan. They look after the money, make arrangements for your care and support, and pay fees out of your personal budget.
- An account managed by a third party: Similar to a managed account, except a third party manages your personal budget.
- Direct payments: Are an alternative to other Adult Social Care Services care provisions. You are given the personal budget money to spend yourself on meeting your needs, in line with your care plan, in the way that suits you best.