Paying for community care

Community Care services include:

• Domiciliary/Home Care
• Respite Care/Short Term
• Lifelink Extra (previously Telecare/Category 3)
• Day Care, and
• Direct Payments, 

You may receive one, or a combination of these services.

Calculation of Community Care Charges

Based on the services received, a financial assessment will be carried out, and a Maximum Charge calculated, towards the cost of any service(s) you receive – please note, however, that the maximum amount you will be asked to pay, will be £100 per week.

If you are over 60 years of age, you will receive an automatic disregard of £291.52 per week, and if you are aged between 18 and 60 years of age, your automatic disregard will be £209.09 per week - these figures are based on the minimum income levels prescribed by the Department for Work and Pensions (plus an additional buffer of 45%), and if your income is below these levels, you will not be required to make a contribution towards the service(s) you receive.

Please note that the majority of your income will be taken into account, when calculating an assessed charge – however, the following will be disregarded in the financial assessment:-

• Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment Mobility Component
• Housing Benefit
• War Disablement Pension (payable to a Veteran)
• the first £10 of any other War Pension (e.g. payable to a Spouse)
• Child Tax Credit
• Disability Living Allowance (Care) / Personal Independence Payment (Daily Living) Component /Attendance Allowance amount exceeding £68.10 per week (i.e. the Higher Rate), if you do not receive night time care (NB this excludes Respite Care/Short Term).
• earnings from Wages/Salaries

Eligible expenditure - any assessed charge will be reduced by your net Council Tax payment, and we will also make allowance for essential expenses, such as:-

• if you pay rent/mortgage for your housing (not covered by Housing Benefit)
• if you have other exceptional expenses

We will consider all of these aspects and, if appropriate, deduct them from your income, in order to calculate the amount of income you have available to spend - any exceptional expenses should be brought to the attention of your Care Manager.

Please note that any changes in your care plan/hours could result in a re-assessment of your Community Care charges – any re-assessment would be dependent on the number of care hours you receive, and whether you are already paying up to your maximum weekly charge.

Capital Threshold (Community Care)

If you have savings under £24,000 (this consists of savings in your name, and your share of any joint accounts), you will be financially assessed based on your income.

Self-funders

Should you have savings over £24,000, you will be assessed to pay the full cost for Community Care, up to a maximum of £100 per week – as mentioned, you should not give away any capital assets, in order to reduce your capital below the relevant capital limit (as per “Deprivation of Capital” mentioned above).

Non-disclosure of financial information

Should you choose not to disclose details of your income and savings, you will be asked to pay the full charge for the services received, up to a maximum of £100 per week.

Payment of community care charges

Once the Council has carried out a financial assessment, a letter (and Statement of Charges) will be sent to you (or, if you would prefer, to a representative on your behalf) advising of your assessed charge.

With regards to Home/Domiciliary Care, Day Care and Lifelink Extra (previously Telecare/Category 3), you will be invoiced calendar monthly for any assessed charges – please note that Direct Debit is the preferred method of payment.

If you are in receipt of Direct Payments, you will be required to make payment of your client contribution, directly into your Direct Payments account (unless you also receive additional services, and are already making payment to us, i.e. by Direct Debit).

Reablement

Reablement is short term NHS and Social Care support, to enable you to maintain (or regain) your ability to live independently at home, for as long as possible – a tailored programme will therefore be provided, in order to meet your individual needs (either in a Community (e.g. at Home) or Residential Care setting).

Although Reablement Care can be provided free of charge, for a period of “up to 6 weeks”, this does not mean that you will automatically receive free care for the full 6 week period – i.e. if a long term package of care is identified for you, prior to the end of the 6 week Reablement period, you would be assessed towards paying a charge for these services, from this earlier date (e.g. if a long term care package was identified in week 3, you would become chargeable for services from week 3).

Respite Care/Short Term

If you receive Respite/Short Term Care, a financial assessment will be carried out, and the maximum you could be asked to pay would be £100 per week/part week – however, as the Maximum Charge (for Community Care) is £100 per week, you would not be expected to pay more than £100 in any chargeable week, for Respite Care/Short Term, or a combination of Respite Care/Short Term, and any other Community Care services.

In addition, the Community Care disregards mentioned above (based on the day time element of Disability Living Allowance /Personal Independence Payment /Attendance Allowance) will not apply to Respite Care/Short Term (as the care will also include a “night time element”) - therefore, existing Community Care clients could pay more for Respite Care/Short Term, than they would for other Community Care services (e.g. if you are currently assessed to pay £60 per week towards Home/Domiciliary Care, you could be expected to pay up to £100 per week, for any Respite Care/Short Term – i.e. an additional £40 per week).

Please note that if you receive Respite Care/Short Term, you will be required to pay your assessed contribution (or any additional amount, as mentioned above, i.e. where you are receiving other services), directly to the care home/provider.

Cancelled Calls and Hospital Stays

If you give your care provider (Home Care or Care Agency) 24 hours’ notice, you will not be charged for any cancelled Home/Domiciliary Care calls. If you do not notify your care provider, then you will be charged for any “Missed Calls”.

Should you be admitted to hospital, you will continue to be charged for up to 1 week (maximum), as there is an arrangement in place, to keep your care package open/available i.e. so that there is no delay in re-starting your care package, following your hospital discharge.

Please note that you will be required to continue to pay for Lifelink Extra (previously Telecare/Category 3), if you are away from home (i.e. in hospital, or any other reason). You will also be required to pay for any Day Care service non-attendances for a period of 2 weeks (for any reason, other than a Respite Care/Short Term admission).

Community Care charges (from April 2023)

The Maximum Charge remains at £100 per week, with the following rates being taken into account, when calculating your assessed charge, for the service(s) you receive:-