How much will it cost?
Care home fees vary depending on the area that you live in, the level of your care needs, the individual care home itself, plus your own personal financial circumstances. Nursing home fees are higher than standard residential care home fees, reflecting the higher level of care that is provided.
All residents have to pay for residential care, but the amount will be assessed according to your income and savings.
If we arrange for you to go into a residential or nursing care home, you will need to contribute to the cost.
The Government has set down detailed regulations and guidance for calculating the charges for residential and nursing care homes, which we must follow when calculating your charge. This guidance is updated regularly.
You can complete our Financial assessment form to see how much you may need to contribute. Completion of the form may take up to 40 minutes.
As part of this assessment, we will take into account any savings you have, as follows:
| Savings | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Below £14,250 | We will not take these savings into account in the assessment |
| Between £14,250 and £23,250 | A tariff income of £1 for each £250 (or part of £250) and add this to your income used in the assessment |
| Above £23,250 | We will assess you as being able to pay the maximum contribution, no matter what other income and disability costs you may have. |
What information do you need?
- So that we can calculate how much you are able to contribute towards your care, you will need to provide us with information about your income and any capital that you have.
- If you do not wish to provide any information, we cannot give you a financial assessment and you will need to pay the full cost of your care.
Some examples of the type of information that we require are detailed below:
Income
- state pension letters
- benefit letters
- notification of private (occupational) pension
Capital
- bank statements
- building society books
- details of stocks, shares, bonds
- property deeds
How much will I pay?
We will work this out from your income and capital. If you are admitted to a home permanently, we may include the value of your home.
Income
Income includes your state retirement pension, any occupational or private pension, pension credit or income support. Other benefits and income will be included, although we may disregard some types of income when you are financially assessed.
Any type of income which is disregarded will be shown within a financial assessment notification. This is detailed within the charging for residential accommodation guidance that all local authorities use.
Capital
Capital includes any savings and any property you own. We will also ask about the capital that you have previously owned if you have disposed of it with the intention to pay less for social care services. We will take into account any capital that you have previously owned if we believe you have disposed of it with the intention to pay less.
| Capital | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Below £14,250 | It will be disregarded for financial assessment purposes |
| Between £14,250 and £23,250 | You will be required to pay £1 per week for every £250 of capital between £14,250 and £23,250 |
| Above £23,250 | You will be required to pay the full cost of the care |