Paying for residential and nursing home care

BSL Support

Residential and nursing homes in the borough all charge different amounts, depending on the facilities they provide and the amount of care that you need.

We will tell you how we work out how much you will have to contribute towards the cost of staying in a residential or nursing home.

This information is only a guide and different rules will apply in some circumstances. We will try to give you the financial facts and explain the charges.

Choosing a care home

If you need residential or nursing care, we will help you choose a home that meets your needs. We will offer you a choice of homes that accept our current contract price and help you make arrangements to move into the care home.

Will I have to pay?

Most people moving into a care home will have to contribute towards the fees. How much you contribute will depend on the amount of savings, income and assets you have.

Exceptions

There are three main exceptions to this:

1. If the NHS is paying for your care home in full. This is called Continuing NHS Health Care
2. If your place in a care home has been arranged as part of a package of “Intermediate Care” where you are having short term therapy or treatment, either following a hospital stay or to avoid having to go into hospital for a period of up to six weeks
3. If you are getting after care under section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

We will tell you if you fall into one of these categories.

Your benefits may be affected when your care home is funded in this way. You should contact the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) for advice as soon as you go into the care home to avoid being overpaid.

Other categories

In all other cases there are two categories:

If you have savings and assets more than £23,250

You will have to pay the full cost of your care if your saving and assets are more than £23,250, or your weekly income (including any tariff income) is more than the cost of your care home.

• The value of any property you own may be treated as capital to calculate your charge
• If you have any savings and assets we will treat you as a self-funding client and will normally ask you to enter into a contract with the care home directly.
• If your assets are tied up in a property which you either do not wish to sell at the present time or you are arranging to sell, we may be able to enter into a deferred payment agreement with you. This is like a loan which enables you to meet the cost of your care home and any money paid by the council is paid back once you sell the property or leave the care home.

If you have savings and assets less than £23,250

If your weekly income is less than the weekly cost of the care home and your savings and assets are less than £23,250, we will help you financially.

• You will need to contribute towards the cost of your care
• We will complete a financial assessment to calculate how much you can afford to pay each week
• We have to take into account any pensions or wages you receive such as:
  • Pension Credit
  • Income Support
  • Employment Support Allowance
  • Universal Credit
  • Any extra social security benefits you may be entitled to claim for your stay in the home.
• We do not count Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment mobility component as part of your income.

You will need to claim all the benefits you are entitled to make your contribution.

More expensive care homes and top-up agreements

If you do not accept the home we offered you and choose a care home which costs more than we can pay, a relative or friend can agree to pay the extra.

This cost is on top of your contribution. It is the difference between the amount we would usually pay and the actual care home fees. It is called a third party top up.