Deferred Payment Policy Consultation

The Care Act 2014 sets out local authorities’ duties in relation to assessing people’s needs and their eligibility for care and support. The criteria for a person to be assessed as requiring care or support are determined nationally, however it is the responsibility of local authorities to assess how an individual should pay for their care.

The Care Act requires local councils to offer a Deferred Payment Scheme as a method of paying for care where it is subject to charging.

A Deferred Payment Scheme is generally for those who have savings less than £23,250 or if this amount is tied up in a property they own. The council will pay for the care or support required, and the recipient can make an agreement (Deferred Payment Agreement) to repay at a later date or in a manner that suits them. In most cases this relates to people who own their own property and who need to sell it before being able to realise the capital to pay for their care. In these cases a charge is put against the value of the property and any outstanding money is recouped either on the death of the service user or at such time that the user sells their property or has an ability to pay for their care.

The policy has been in place since August 2015; however a recent review found that some aspects of the policy require further clarification. We are consulting on a number of amendments to the policy which are proposed to ensure that the policy reflects the duties and responsibilities placed on local councils under the Care Act 2014.
A full report with the background information, full details about the proposed changes to the policy and the draft revised policy document can be found here (Item 6c). Please take the time to read through the proposals before responding to the consultation.

The survey will ask for your comments on the payment options within the Deferred Payment Agreement and give other general comments about the policy.

Please tell us your views by completing the survey here.

Alternatively you can request more information and a paper copy of the survey by contacting 0161 342 2605.

The consultation will close on Tuesday 18 June 2019.