Paying for home care


You may be able to get help from the council to pay for home care services. You should also make sure you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to.
Image

Council support to pay for home care

If you have more than £23,250 in savings and investments (not including your home), you will be expected to pay the full costs. You cannot just spend money quickly to get below this figure - the council will check. But if your savings gradually go down (perhaps because you start to spend money on care) you can then become eligible for help once you have less than £23,250.

If you have less than £23,250 in savings and investments (not including your home), you may get help with the costs of care at home. If you have less than £14,250, the council will normally pay for the full costs. But the amount you get will also depend on your income.

The first step towards getting council support with home care costs is to have a care needs assessment and financial assessment from the council. We can arrange this for you.

Image

How council adult care payments work

Councils assess individual care needs and work out the overall cost of meeting these needs. This overall cost is called a personal budget. The personal budget is then split into between what you must pay yourself and what the council will pay.

You can manage your personal budget in one of four ways:

Direct payments

Where appropriate, councils can make direct payments. This way, you get the money to spend in the way that suits you best. You have complete control, and a free choice of which care providers to use. A family member or friend can take responsibility for managing the money if you prefer.

Managed accounts

If you do not want to manage the money yourself, you can have a managed account. The council looks after the money, makes arrangements, and pays fees. For home care, you will usually only be able to have services from a company the council has a contract with (Cheshire East Council has a contract with Aceso). You can tell the council which care provider you would prefer.

Accounts managed by a third party

You can also choose to have a third party (known as a broker) managing your personal budget. The third party will make a charge for this.

Splitting direct payments and managed accounts

You can have some of the money as a direct payment but leave the rest for the council to manage for you.
"All the staff were extremely kind and gentle with my husband but at the same time very efficient. They were also very friendly and cheerful. We both looked forward to your girls coming as we knew we would receive kindness, cheerfulness and compassion. The family would like to give you all our grateful thanks."
B.Y. Client

Benefits you may be able to claim

Depending on your age, you may be able to claim either Attendance Allowance or Personal Independence Payment to help with the costs of care at home.

Attendance Allowance

You may be eligible for Attendance Allowance if you are over state pension age and having difficulties with personal care tasks due to illness or physical or mental disability. Attendance Allowance is a tax-free cash benefit available to anyone who is eligible, regardless of financial circumstances.
Image

Personal Independence Payment

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help people under state pension age with extra costs if they have an illness or disability. PIP is tax-free and is replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

NHS Continuing Healthcare

If you have a complex or serious medical condition that needs a lot of care and support, you may be eligible for free personal care at home through NHS Continuing Healthcare. If this applies to you, your doctor, nurse, or hospital social worker will probably already be involved in organising your care.

Next steps

To find out more about paying for care at home and sources of financial help, give us a call. We’re happy to explain the system in more detail and can arrange for you to have a Cheshire East Council care and financial assessment.

Call us today on 01270 629761.

Contact Us

Understanding adult social care services

Find out how councils and private firms work to provide social care for adults
Find Out More

Why choose Aceso?

See why our clients choose us and stay with us.
Why choose us

Can care at home be an alternative to a care home?

Learn about how care at home could help you stay in your own home
Care at home