Council funding, NHS Continuing Healthcare, Attendance Allowance or paying privately? A plain-English guide to paying for care at home in our area, and who to contact first.
Working out how to pay for care is one of the first worries families raise with us. The good news is that there are several routes, and you do not have to work them out alone. The main ones are help from your local council, NHS funding for people with health needs, benefits, and paying for care yourself.
Start with a free care needs assessment. Under the Care Act 2014, anyone who appears to need care and support can ask their local council for a needs assessment, whatever their savings. In our area this means Surrey County Council (Spelthorne, Runnymede, Elmbridge, Woking and Surrey Heath), the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (Windsor, Maidenhead, Ascot and Datchet), Slough Borough Council, or Buckinghamshire Council (Iver, Burnham, Farnham Royal and Stoke Poges).
If the council decides you have eligible needs, it will carry out a financial assessment, sometimes called a means test. It looks at your income and savings to work out how much you should contribute. For care in your own home, the value of the home you live in is not counted. Some people pay the full cost, some pay part, and some pay nothing.
Ask about direct payments. If the council is funding some or all of your care, you can usually ask for a direct payment instead of the council arranging care for you. This gives you the money to choose your own care provider and plan care the way you want it.
NHS Continuing Healthcare is free care arranged and funded by the NHS for adults whose main need is a health need. Eligibility is decided through an assessment, which often begins with a checklist completed by a nurse, social worker or the hospital discharge team. If you think it may apply, ask for the checklist to be completed.
Benefits can make a real difference. Attendance Allowance is paid to people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of an illness or disability. It is not means-tested, so your savings and income do not affect it. People under State Pension age may be able to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and family carers may be entitled to Carer’s Allowance.
Paying privately gives you the most choice and is often the quickest route. If you arrange care with us directly, a care manager visits you for a free, no-obligation assessment and explains the cost of your care package clearly before anything starts.
Get independent advice. Age UK, Citizens Advice and your council’s adult social care team can all help you understand what you may be entitled to. If you are paying for care from savings or property, an independent financial adviser who specialises in care fees can help you plan.
If you are not sure where to start, call us on 01784 697000 (Surrey) or 01628 964300 (Windsor, Maidenhead and Slough). We are happy to talk your options through, even if you are not ready to arrange care yet.
