Paying for adult social care

There is usually a cost for support and services to help with living at home, or with care when it is needed.

On these pages you will find information about how you will be charged for care arranged by the Council, ways to pay for your care and support services.

You may find it useful to get advice from an independent financial adviser or an independent organisation. We've included some information to help you find impartial advice.

In some circumstances different rules may apply as charging for residential and nursing home care can be complex so please treat this information as a guide. 

How much you will pay for your care depends on your circumstances and the kind of care you receive.

To help us understand if you can afford to pay towards your care or not, we need to carry out an assessment of your finances. This covers things like income, savings and essential spending.

How the charges are calculated

The contribution you make is based on an assessment of your individual circumstances. We look at your weekly income from things like benefits, pensions and investments, and we look at savings as well. 

If you have more than £23,250 in savings, you will have to pay the full cost of your care.

If you have more than £14,250 but less than £23,250, you will be deemed to have income of £1 per week for every £250 (or part thereof) you have over £14,250.

We don't take account of some types of income such as wages, War Disablement Pension, some elements of War Widows Pension and some disability benefits.

If you need care in your own home

How much you pay will be based on how much money you have coming in each week and what you reasonably have to spend to live.

However much your care costs, you will always have at least the Government-set minimum income to live on each week.  This is known as the Minimum Income Guarantee.

If you move into a care home

Living in a care home costs more than being cared for in your own home. If you think you need the Council to contribute to your care home costs, we will talk with you about your assets as well as your income.

If you own your home, this will be included in the assessment along with any savings, investments or shares you might own. 

For short stays in a care home, we don't count the home you own. Your home is also not counted when you stay in the care home permanently if someone remains living there who is:

• your partner
• a relative aged over 60
• a child under 16
• a disabled adult

We usually won't include your property in our cost calculations for the first 12 weeks of your stay in a care home if your move there is likely to be permanent.

After that the value of your home will count and that means you may have to pay a lot more for your care.

For many people this means selling the property to release money to pay their care home costs.

To help you, we can part-fund your care until your home is sold. You will have to pay the money back when your house is sold and you may then start to pay all of the costs yourself.

Talking with us about your finances

You don't have to give us details of your finances but if you don't, we won't be able to know if you qualify for a contribution from us towards your care costs. That means you'll be charged the full cost.

You will never be billed for more than the cost of the services you receive.

Our guide to costs

The costs below are a guide to how much we charge for the different services we supply.

*Please note you may also be charged VAT on top of these costs

Will I have to sell my home?

For short stays in a care home, we don't count the home you own. Your home is also not counted when you stay in the care home permanently if someone remains living there who is:

• your partner
• a relative aged over 60
• a child under 16
• a disabled adult

We usually won't include your property in our cost calculations for the first 12 weeks of your stay in a care home if your move there is likely to be permanent.

After that the value of your home will count and that means you may have to pay a lot more for your care.

For many people this means selling the property to release money to pay their care home costs.

To help you, we can part-fund your care until your home is sold. You will have to pay the money back when your house is sold and you may then start to pay all of the costs yourself.

How do I pay?

Usually, you will receive a bill every four weeks. However, there are other ways of paying, depending on your circumstances:

Direct Payments

If you get a direct payment, we will automatically deduct your contribution before you receive your payment.

Pay online

The easiest and most effective way of paying , see Pay your care fees online

Usually, you will receive a bill every four weeks. However, there are other ways of paying, depending on your circumstances:

Direct Payments

If you get a direct payment, we will automatically deduct your contribution before you receive your payment.

Pay online

Paying online is the easiest and most effective way of paying.

Use the forms below to pay for Council care services online:

Telecare and community alarm payment

Day Care Fees Payment

Home Care Charges Payment

Residential Fee Charges Payment

For more payment arrangement options, see other ways to pay for your support and care.

We know you best understand what you need and we want to make it simple for you to be in control of these arrangements if you'd like to be.

We will help you plan for your needs and agree with you an approximate cost for the support you need.

This is called a Personal Budget.

You then have three options:

1. Either you can shop for care and support (there are some restrictions) and use the regular payments you get from us to pay the people who provide you with these services. This is called a direct payment.
2. Or we can arrange care and support for you and sort out payment, known as a Virtual Budget
3. Or you can arrange some of the services yourself while we manage others

The amount of money we contribute to your support will be the same whichever method you choose.

One of our advisers can help you to understand more about your options.

If you want a Direct Payment, you can name a family member to manage payments on your behalf or use an independent company known as a Managed Account Company to manage and pay your bills.

For more information see direct payments.