Paying for care in your own home
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What is the charge for care in your home?
The most you can be charged per hour is £8.71 up to a maximum of £77.00 per week. If you are on low income you will pay less or in some circumstances, nothing at all. However you will not have to pay more than £77.00 a week no matter how many hours you have or how high your income and savings.
You will not be charged for any care you have in your home until you have a financial assessment.
Anyone getting care in their home for the first time gets the first two weeks free of charge.
Why have a financial assessment?
1. We need to work out with you how much you will have to pay (not everyone has to pay the full charge for care at home). How much you pay depends on:
- your income and savings
- how many hours care you need
- whether you have a disability,
- whether you are single, in a couple
- whether you are a carer.
2. We will offer you welfare rights advice to claim all the social security benefits you are entitled to. If this is complicated or you need help appealing against the refusal of benefits, we can arrange for the Welfare Rights service to help you.
Does everyone have to have a financial assessment?
No – but if you choose not to have one you will pay the full amount of £77.00 per week. However, you can still have benefits advice even if you choose not to have a financial assessment for charges. Even people with savings over £22,250 can qualify for a number of Social Security benefits.
How we work out what you pay
Not all your income is taken into account for charging. In order to work out how much you need to pay we compare the money you have from your ‘assessed income’ (‘assessed income’ is the income we take into account for charging) with the ‘set amount’.
If your assessed income is below the ‘set amount’ then you do not pay for your care. If it is above the “set amount” we will charge you according to how much you can afford to pay.
Can I be excused charges?
You will not be asked to pay any charges if:
- You receive services after being discharged from compulsory psychiatric care
- You have Creuzfeldt Jakob Disease
- You are assessed for services under the Independent Living Fund (ILF). (You will pay the ILF contribution instead)
- You are provided with services which are paid for by NHS. For example when you are treated as a hospital patient and the NHS are paying for your care.
Related information
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Adult social care and health 
