Paying for your care and support

The criteria we use for determining who is eligible to access care and support are set out in the Care Act 2014. These are national guidelines which aim to help people meet their needs to achieve the outcomes that matter to them in their lives and which in turn promote their wellbeing.

How do you know if you are eligible?

When you contact us for help, we will organise an assessment.

This will consider what outcomes are important to you, how your needs impact on your ability to achieve these outcomes and what the impact on your wellbeing is.

Eligibility criteria

The national eligibility criteria require that in order for needs to be eligible, they must relate to the following three conditions:

1. The adult’s needs for care and support arise from or are related to a physical or mental impairment or illness and are not caused by other circumstantial factors. This includes if the person has a condition as a result of physical, mental, sensory, learning or cognitive disabilities or illnesses, substance misuse or brain injury.

2. As a result of the adult’s needs, the adult is unable to achieve two or more of the following eligibility outcomes:

• managing and maintaining nutrition
• maintaining personal hygiene
• managing toilet needs
• being appropriately clothed
• being able to make use of the adult’s home safely
• maintaining a habitable home environment
• developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships
• accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
• making use of necessary facilities or services in the local community, including public transport, and recreational facilities or services
• carrying out any caring responsibilities for a child

3. As a consequence of being unable to achieve these outcomes, there is, or is likely to be, a significant impact on the adult’s wellbeing.

There is no single definition of wellbeing as this will depend on the individual, their circumstances and their priorities but it is related to the following areas in particular:

• personal dignity
• physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
• protection from abuse and neglect
• control by the individual over their day-to-day life
• participation in work, education, training or recreation
• social and economic wellbeing
• domestic, family and personal domains
• suitability of the individual’s living accommodation
• the individual’s contribution to society

As part of your Care and Support Plan, we will draw up an individual budget which sets out exactly how much it will cost to meet the eligible care and support needs you have.

The individual budget will include any amount that the local authority is going to pay towards those costs. It will also set out any financial contributions you will make to your care and support.

Your individual budget can be managed in three ways:

1. By you – direct payment

You can look after this yourself in a specific bank account dedicated only to your Direct Payment and activities relating to your outlined needs in the Care and Support Plan. This means you will be responsible for ensuring the services are paid for on time and that you keep all your receipts together. We can offer advice and information about how to do this with confidence. Many people who think they cannot manage a Direct Payment can manage very well with some guidance and support.

2. By us – a managed individual budget (this applies to non-residential care)

In discussion with you, we find support that we believe meets the needs you have outlined in your Care and Support Plan. This means we will manage your allocated budget for you.

3. By a family member or organisation

We work with a third party organisation who can manage the individual budget on your behalf.

Depending on your financial situation, there are a number of ways you may be able to cover your care costs by off-setting them against the value of your property.

A Deferred Payment Agreement is an arrangement with the City of London Corporation enabling people to use the value of their home to help pay care home costs. If you are eligible, the City of London will help to pay your care home bills on your behalf. You can delay repaying the City of London Corporation until you choose to sell your home, or until after your death.

You are eligible for a Deferred Payment Agreement if:

• you are receiving care in a care home (or you are going to move into one soon)
• you own or have part legal ownership of your home (unless your partner or certain others live there)
• you have savings and investments of less than £23,250 (not including the value of your home).

The City of London Corporation charges interest on the amount owed for your care and charges an administration fee of £500 for setting up a Deferred Payment Agreement.

If you would like to talk to someone about paying for care and support services, contact the Adult Social Care Team:

Tel: 020 7332 1224 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)

Email: Adult Duty Team.

Contact the Adult Social Care Team