Paying for care in your own home
Care in your own home is also known as community-based care.
The 3 types are:
- Home care services: helping people with daily living tasks such as getting in and out of bed, washing, dressing or going to the toilet - often referred to as either 'domiciliary' or 'home care'
- Direct payments or personal budget: an allowance from the council to buy services to meet eligible care and support needs that are not being met - it can be managed yourself, by the council, or your chosen service or care provider
- Day centres: for adults who can no longer live independently, or are isolated and lonely - they allow people to socialise with others while receiving care services and offer caregivers a break from caregiving duties
Financial assessment
Customers requiring care are financially assessed and expected to contribute towards their care costs, where they can.
We will take into account your income and savings, as well as expenses associated with disabilities and your housing situation.
Protected income covers everyday living costs including, but not limited to the following items.
- food and drink
- board and lodging
- hairdressing and hygiene
- clothes and bedding
- glasses and dentistry
- prescriptions, alternative therapies or treatments
- utility bills including insurance, TV licence and subscriptions to satellite or digital TV companies
- cleaners, window cleaning and gardening (other than basic gardening costs allowable as disability-related expenses)
- transport
- repairs and maintenance of buildings
- other expenditure such as personal debts and arrears
Examples of disability related expenditure include:
- community alarm systems (after deducting Housing Benefit or Supporting People grant)
- privately arranged care services including respite care
- speciality items caused by disability, including specialist washing powders, laundry costs and special dietary needs
- special clothing or footwear (e.g. where this needs to be specially made or where there is additional wear and tear caused by disability)
- additional bedding (e.g. due to incontinence)
- additional heating or water costs above average levels due to age, medical condition or disability
- basic garden maintenance, cleaning or domestic help, if needed due to the individual's disability and not met by social services
- purchase, maintenance and repair of disability-related equipment or transport, including transport needed to access or remain in employment, computer costs or reasonable hire costs of equipment if waiting for supply of equipment from us
- personal assistance costs including any household or other necessary costs
- other transport costs incurred by illness or disability, including cost of transport to a day centre, over and above the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, if in payment and not already provided by us
- additionally, we may make allowances for housing related costs such as mortgage payments and council tax
Successful applications
Once we have completed your assessment, we will confirm the weekly contribution you are expected to pay towards your care costs.
You will have a choice to make:
Option 1: We will arrange services for you and pay the service providers (e.g. your day centre). You will pay your contribution to us, usually by Direct Debit.
Option 2: You arrange and pay the service providers directly (e.g. a personal care provider). We will deposit your direct payment onto a pre-paid card account and is worked out as follows:
- Personal budget minus your contribution equals your direct payment from us
Apply
We can give you information to help stay independent. We can assess you for eligible needs or review your current care package.
Request an assessment or review
Last updated 15 November 2022