Paying for care and support

If you are eligible for support from Adult Social Care, your social care worker will ask you to complete a financial assessment form.   

The financial assessment will look at your income and how much money you pay out. It will also look at any savings you have or assets you own, like a house. We will use this information to work out how much you can afford to pay towards your care and support and whether the Council will help with the cost.

If you don't want to tell us about your finances, you can opt to pay the full cost of your care and support.

For more information, you can view the following guides available in the Paying for care and support section of our Information Guides webpage (alternative formats are available):

• Paying for care and support
• Paying for Social Care when living in your own home
• Paying for residential care

Sometimes the NHS is responsible for funding some or all your care. This could be because you need care from a registered nurse, or you have been assessed by a team of health and social care professionals, and they have agreed that you have a “primary health need.” This is known as NHS continuing healthcare.

For more information, please visit the NHS continuing healthcare page on the NHS website.

If you wish to appeal a decision regarding eligibility for NHS Continuing Health Care funding, please see our Guide to appeal a decision regarding eligibility for Continuing Health Care Funding,

You may choose to have your care and support costs paid to you as a direct payment. You must have capacity to agree to receive a direct payment. This means that you understand about the benefits and the responsibilities of having a direct payment. 

If you do not have capacity to make this decision, you can still receive a direct payment if you have someone who is authorised to make the decision on your behalf and can help you to manage your direct payment.

Before you can receive a direct payment, your social care worker will ask you to complete a direct payment agreement. This is to ensure that you understand the responsibilities associated with arranging your own care and to make sure the care provided will meet your needs. 

For more information, you can view the following guides available in the Paying for care and support section of our Information Guides webpage (alternative formats are available):

• Direct payments and pre-paid cards
• Employing a Personal Assistant

A deferred payment agreement is a legal agreement between you and the council that allows you to delay paying some or all your residential care or extra care costs until a later date.

If you choose to enter into a deferred payment agreement, we will pay the cost of your care until you choose to sell your home, or until after your death.

Deferred payment agreements will suit some people’s circumstances better than others.

There is a fee to set up the agreement, and we will charge interest on the amount that you owe.

There are other ways to pay for your care. We recommend that you seek advice from an expert before making your choice.

For further information, please see our Guide to Deferred Payment Agreements for Social Care

Alternative formats are available in the Paying for care and support section of our Information Guides webpage.

We understand that making decisions relating to paying for care and support can be confusing, so we have put together answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Alternative formats are available in the Paying for care and support section of our Information Guides webpage.