Paying for your care

If you've already contacted us to get a social care assessment and you qualify for some help from us, we'll talk to you about your finances to help us work out how much you need to pay towards your care and support. We call this a financial assessment.

We use national guidance to calculate how much people can afford to pay. This is set out in the Care Act. How much you pay depends on whether you're receiving care at home or you're moving into a care home.

If you have savings of more than £23,250, we'll expect you to pay the full cost of the services you receive. This means you'll be classed as self-funding.

If you don't want a financial assessment we'll assume that you'll pay the full cost of your care. Read more about arranging and paying for your own support and financial assessments.  

How we work out your contribution towards your care

At your financial assessment we'll look at how much income you're receiving from:

• disability or most other benefits 
• your pension
• your savings, ISAs, Premium Bonds or other investments
• your earnings 

We'll also consider other capital assets you may have, including second properties, holiday homes, businesses, etc (this could include the value of your home if you're moving into residential care).

We never take into account the value of your home when calculating your contribution for support to live at home.

For more information see our financial contributions policy.

The value of your savings

We consider savings to be any money you have in:

• current accounts
• savings accounts
• ISAs
• Premium Bonds
• other investments

Work out what you may need to pay for your care

Our online contribution calculator is quick and easy-to-use. It gives you an idea of what you may need to pay towards the cost of receiving care at home. It includes a step-by-step user guide and answers to frequently asked questions.

The calculation is based on the information you provide about your income, savings and expenditure. It collects the same details that we use in a financial assessment. 

It's confidential and free to use. We don't see the information you're putting into the calculator. You may want to save and print out the results. You can share these with us if you do choose to go ahead with a financial assessment.

For residential care home costs, your social worker will be able to discuss this with you.

There have been some recent disruptions to the website and you may not be able to access it. If you're not able to use the calculator, please call us on 01226 773300.

If your financial situation changes

You'll need to tell us if there are any changes to your income or savings as we may need to do another assessment. If you don't inform us of changes in your circumstances, it could mean that you incur charges.

If your savings drop below £23,250 you may wish to contact us again for a further assessment.

Independent financial advice

If you have to pay the full cost for your care, you may want to speak to a financial adviser. They can advise you on your situation and provide you with advice.

You can find details for financial advisers on the Unbiased website. Once you've chosen an adviser, make sure that they're registered and authorised with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can do this by checking on the FCA website or by calling freephone 0300 500 8082.