Adult social care and support

Paying for adult social care non-residential services

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What information will I need to provide?

You will need to have accurate details of your:

  • savings and investments
  • income
  • outgoings (such as rent, mortgage and Council Tax)
  • disability related expenditure (money you spend due to your condition or disability)

How much capital can I have?

You will have to pay the full cost of your care if your capital is above £24,500. This is called the 'Capital Threshold'. We do not take into account the value of your main and only home whilst you continue to live there. If you own a property which you do not live in, the value will be taken into account in the financial assessment. You can find out more at what happens to my home.

Will I have to pay?

If your capital is less than £24,500, you will not have to pay if your weekly income is less than:

  • £228.70 and you are a single person over pensionable age
  • £183.25 and you are a single person over 25 and under pensionable age
  • £159.40 and you are a single person under 25

You will still need to complete a financial assessment as we will need to verify the information given. It may be that you have more income than the amounts above and will still not have to pay. This is because there are some types of income that are not taken into account.

Will I be entitled to any welfare benefits?

We will look at the information you give us and work out whether you are entitled to any benefits you are not currently in receipt of. We can help you make a claim for these benefits if you wish. It is important that you claim any benefits to which you are entitled as we include them in the charge we ask you to pay.

If you have a partner, to complete a full benefits check, we would need to see details of your partner's income and capital.

What is disability-related expenditure?

You may have extra costs due to your disability. We will help you identify any extra costs that you may have. We know that some people may not want to discuss this and so we automatically allow a minimum of £20 per week. If you do not want to discuss these costs you do not have to.

If you feel that your disability-related costs are more than £20 per week, we may ask you to provide proof of these. It is not possible to give a full list of the items you can claim but the following list will give you an idea of the types of costs we can take into account:

  • extra heating
  • community alarm system
  • extra laundry costs
  • additional costs for clothing or bedding
  • special clothing or footwear
  • special dietary requirements
  • respite care – not provided by the council
  • private payments for cleaning and domestic help
  • disability-related equipment
  • transport costs

How do you calculate the charge?

We will look at your assessable income and capital, deduct an allowance that the government sets (the 'minimum income guarantee'*), then deduct any expenditure you have told us about. The amount of income remaining will be the amount we will ask you to pay towards your care and support.

* The 'minimum income guarantee' is an allowance given in the assessment to cover the costs of everyday living. This allowance is taken from government guidance and will depend on your age, disability and family circumstances.

What if I disagree with the amount you ask me to pay?

You can ask us to review the assessment at any time. If a mistake has been made or something has been overlooked we will correct it. The outcome of the review will be explained in writing to you.

If you still feel the charge is more than you can afford, you may want to seek independent advice from a voluntary organisation.

How do I pay?

We will send you or your representative a bill each month showing the amount you must pay. The easiest way to pay is by direct debit and we will send you a form to complete to set this up. Direct debit is the most cost effective and efficient way to pay, for both you and the council. You can also pay by direct debit or credit card. Other ways you can pay are listed on the back of your monthly statement.

Pay for it – care services

What if I have to pay the full cost?

If you have to pay for the full cost of your care (for example if you have savings over the 'capital threshold'), you can still ask the council to make the arrangements for your non-residential care and support services. The council can enter into a contract to pay the provider on your behalf and you will need to pay the council for all the costs incurred. If the council agrees to enter into a contract with your care provider, you will be charged a one-off administration fee of £364 to cover our costs. You will also be charged £15.60 for each week that the council continues to make these arrangements on your behalf.

Is there any funding available from the NHS?

NHS Continuing Health Care is either care in a nursing home or care in your own home, arranged and completely paid for by the local clinical commissioning group. For more information see continuing healthcare.

Complete an Online Financial Assessment

You can complete a financial assessment now using our Online Financial Assessment tool to find out how much you may have to pay. You can complete the assessment for your information only, or you can choose to send the details to us for verification. You will need information on your savings and outgoings to hand before you start.

Charging policy

Our charging policy for Adult Social Care services 2024 sets out our position on charging for support services in the community and residential or nursing accommodation.

Files available to download

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