The prospect of paying for care can be very worrying, especially as care costs and people’s life expectancy continue to increase. The rules and regulations surrounding care costs can be tricky to navigate and this is especially the case where the need for care has not been anticipated ahead of time.
Care needs assessment
If you need the assistance of a carer or feel that you might need to move into a care home, it is possible to ask the local authority for a care needs assessment. The local authority is obliged to carry out this assessment even if you are able to pay for the costs of care yourself. This assessment will establish what your needs are and how they should be met, whether at home or in a residential setting.
Local authority care means test
Once your needs have been established, the local authority will need to consider how your care will be paid for. This is determined by a means test. To do this, the local authority will need to carry out an assessment of your finances, including your capital and income. If your capital is above the £23,250.00 care capital threshold in the means test, you do not qualify for funding towards your care and will need to pay the costs yourself (‘self-funding’).
If your capital is below the threshold, you may qualify for either fully or partly funded care. The financial assessment will work out a contribution based on your income & outgoings. Once the financial assessment is completed, the local authority will send you a breakdown, demonstrating how they worked out your financial contribution. The local authority needs to leave you with a certain amount of income each week for your own expenses once this contribution has been made. Your financial contribution is paid from your own funds towards the costs of care.
If your funds subsequently fall above or below the care capital threshold or if your income and expenses change, the local authority should be contacted to request a new financial assessment.
Will my property be taken into account?
Many people worry about the local authority taking their property into account when carrying out the financial assessment, meaning that you would need to sell the property to pay your care costs yourself. Whether or not this happens will depend on several factors and there are exceptions. Local authority’s use their own discretion when deciding to take a person’s property into consideration when financially assessing. Please contact your local authority to request further information.
Other types of care funding
Some people who have been kept in hospital under the Mental Health Act can get free support after they are discharged from hospital. This is known as S117 Aftercare Funding. It is the duty of the Integrated Care Board in England, or the local health and social services authority to provide and arrange you with aftercare services. This funding is not means tested.
There is a further funding option for care in certain circumstances, which is separate from the options above. To qualify for Integrated Care Board (ICB) funding, also known as, Continuing Health Care Funding (CHC), it must be proven that you have a 'primary health need'. This means that your care requirements are primarily for healthcare, rather than social or personal care needs. This funding is not means tested.
Sometimes there are disputes between different integrated care boards, local health boards and local authorities about who must provide or pay for your care. Even if this happens, your care planning should not be delayed.
Find out more
If you would like advice on this, please contact our dedicated vulnerable clients team.
