As explained in our previous article ‘What do care homes cost in today’s day and age?’ before you move into a care home your local authority will carry out an assessment to work out how much you will be paying towards your care. This assessment will be based upon your Income and savings – referred to as capital - and will determine how much you will have to fund your care and how much your local authority will fund. The areas being assessed can include:
- Bank and building society statements
- National Savings and Premium Bond certificates
- Details of any stocks, shares and any other financial products you own
- Your pension entitlements
- Property you own and its current value unless occupied by your partner, a relative over 60 or incapacitated, or a child under 16 you or a former partner as a lone parent are liable to maintain.
Your capital and income will determine how much support you will receive. If your capital is assessed as being under £23,250 then you should be entitled to support from your local authority. If you have a capital which is under £14,250 you should be able to receive maximum support although you will still contribute your income. If your capital is assessed as being over the £23,250 upper limit then you may be told you have to be a self-funder and you are not entitled to help from the local authority. If your capital falls to the £23,250 mark after this assessment you should then be entitled to support once they have done another means-tested assessment. If your capital is between £14,250 and £23,250 you will pay a capital tariff of around £1 for each £250 as it will be deemed income. The example they use on the NHS website is that if you are assessed as having a capital of £15,250 you will be treated as having £4 extra income per week.
Even if your capital is below £23,250 and the local authority will be contributing to your care you should still be able to choose which home you would like to go to. It could even be abroad as long as the home falls within the price the social services are willing to pay and it provides the care you have been assessed to be in need of. As a resident you will always have £22.30 per week which is called a personal expenses allowance so you have money to buy personal items, toiletries and small presents etc. If you wish to live in a more expensive home then the additional price must be paid by a third party it cannot be paid by yourself. You may also be able to claim Attendance Allowance, this is a non-means tested benefit that pays £71.40 per week if you need care day and night or £47.80 if you need care by day or night. This is applicable even if your capital is assessed as being over the £23,250 and you can also claim the NHS nursing contribution which is £108.70 per week (this figure only applies to England, other areas may differ) if you are moving to a nursing home.
If you feel you have specific care needs or a Doctor has recommended it you will also need a care assessment to determine what type of care it is you are likely to need. This care assessment is officially known as ‘section 47 care assessment’ and you will need to get in touch with your Adult Services department of your local authority for this assessment. This assessment will usually need a report by your GP sent directly to the Adult Services Department detailing your potential medical needs along with whatever else that particular department may require, it is always best to talk to them directly.
All of the above is only a generalised brief summary and is not necessarily a true representation of your particular case. To make sure you make the best decisions for yourself based on needs, changes in legislation and regulations please get in touch with us directly as to how you would best move forward. You can go to the NHS website to find a care home near you by following the link: www.nhs.uk/carersdirect/guide/practicalsupport/pages/carehomes alternatively you can all the NHS run service Carers Direct on 0808 802 0202. This is open 9am -8pm Monday to Friday (except bank holidays) and 11am-4pm at weekends. Calls are free from UK landlines and mobiles or you can request a free call back on the website if you click on the link above.
All figures found in this article are from the NHS website.
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This policy is subject to change at anytime.
If you would like further information on how to plan for your future call us on 01242 255 125 or email us on joan@graysgroup.co.uk.
