How to Pay for Your Care
We understand how important it is for you to access the relevant information about funding your care to ensure that you find the right care provider to meet your personal needs.
With the introduction of Direct Payments and Personal Care Budgets, service users are empowered to choose their preferred provider of care. But what means of payment suits you and your requirements? Below is some information that may help you to decide.
Private Funding
If you are privately funding your care then the services you pay for are not subsidised. Eligibility for subsidised care is means-tested. For more information contact your local authority.
Subsidised Funding
If you require care from Social Services you will be offered a financial assessment to see if you are eligible for
You may be eligible for a reduction in the amount you have to pay towards the cost of your care, depending on your savings and, if applicable, your income including state benefits and work pensions.
For more information contact your local authority.
Direct Payments
Direct payments are cash payments given to service users in lieu of community care services they require and are intended to give users greater choice in their care. The payment is sufficient to enable the service user to purchase services to meet their
Direct payments empower service users to commission services for themselves; but while responsibility is conferred upon the individual to choose their preferred care, support services are available via the local authority.
This option affords service users the most autonomy.
Personal Care Budgets
Personal care budgets are allocated to service users following a care assessment and are sufficient to meet their needs. Service users can either take their personal budget as a direct payment or assign the responsibility to the local authority to commission the services on their behalf.
However, it is important that local authorities advise service users on the range of care providers available to them to enable them to make an informed choice: service users, under this new scheme, have the right to choose their preferred provider of care to ensure that their individual needs are met.