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Paying for Care and Support
Who Pays for Care and Support?
Social care, unlike health care, is not free to everyone. If you are eligible for care and support to be organised through the council, you may also qualify for some financial help to meet the cost.
A financial assessment will be completed by the council to work out how much you will need to pay towards the cost of your support. All care and support charges are applicable from the day your care and support commences, so if you have not been assessed by that date, you need to be aware that your charge will be backdated.
You are welcome to have someone with you when you talk with adult social care if you would like to – this could be a carer, friend or member of your family. If you don’t know someone who could support you, adult social care can help to arrange an independent advocate for you – to make sure you feel listened to. If you would like to know more about independent advocacy, please visit York Advocacy website.
Getting Informed
Lots of people find that they need more help or support as they get older. Starting to look for care and support can feel overwhelming, but there are people and organisations that can help.
The 'Social Care Talk' website contains short films and information to help you if you’re starting to look for care and support for yourself or someone else, now or in the future. It includes information about who to talk to about meeting the costs of care. It also goes into more detail about specific aspects including Paying for Social Care for Older People.
Care at home
Personal Budget (care at home)
A Personal Budget is the amount of money which is allocated to you to pay for your support. This is a combination of your assessed contribution and the maximum amount which the council will contribute towards your support. It is usually calculated as a weekly and annual amount. There are a number of ways which you can receive your personal budget including:
- A Direct Payment which is paid directly to you or your representative
- A Direct Payment which is paid to an organisation who manage it on your behalf
- A payment managed by the council who organise and commission the care on your behalf
For further information regarding Direct Payments, please visit City of York Council – Direct Payment advice and support providers.
Self funders (care at home)
For further information on calculating your eligibility for funding towards your social care support please go to the Council webpage on paying for care. The value of your current home is not taken into account if you need care in your own home.
If you have significant savings or have this amount of assets and would like the council to arrange your care and support for you, there is administrative charge to pay in addition to the weekly cost of your care. The administration charge payable to the council covers the cost of arranging and buying care and support services on your behalf. It also covers invoicing you and collecting your contribution towards your care, annually reconciling your personal account and arranging charges or a credit back to you if applicable. The administration charge also covers the costs incurred for undertaking quality assurance checks of care providers.
Care Homes
Paying for care in a care home
If you are eligible for residential or nursing care and are eligible for financial support towards your stay in a care home, you will be financially assessed by the council to calculate your weekly contribution. If you are assessed as needing to stay in a residential or nursing home facility, the Health Authority may also make a contribution towards this.
Each local authority has set rates which they agree to pay for a care home place. For York's current rates please visit Adult Social Care support fees, charges, allowances and rates.
If you wish to go to a care home where the total weekly cost is greater than this, family or friends (not yourself and usually not your spouse) may have to contribute towards the extra cost. This is called a “third party top up”.
Self funders (care home)
If you are already living in a residential or nursing care home and pay for this yourself (with no support from the local authority), you may be eligible for funding. Please contact adult social care to arrange a financial assessment and assessment of your eligibility. If possible please contact the council before you make the payment that will reduce the capital threshold stated in the Council webpage paying for care.
If your current care home is more expensive than the local authority rates, there is no guarantee that the council will pay the full weekly cost of your stay. Some homes are willing to accept the local authority rates once your funds drop to the capital limit threshold and the council will try and negotiate this with them. In some instances, a third party top up will need to be made towards your stay to cover the full cost (from a relative / friend). You are not allowed to pay your own third party top up.
If there is no one available who can pay a third party top up for you then you may need to consider looking for an alternative care home that accepts the City of York Council rates.
Deferred Payment Scheme
If you have been assessed as eligible to receive care in a care home setting, you may be eligible for a “Deferred Payment Agreement”. This is an agreement between you and the council that is designed to help you if you are unable to access your money due to it being tied up in your property.
12 week property disregard
You may also be entitled to a 12 week property disregard if you are entering care for the first time and the council has assessed you as being eligible to receive care in a residential or nursing home. This is when the council agree to contribute towards up to the first 12 weeks of your stay in a care home to allow you time to sell your property.
You will not be entitled to the 12 week property disregard if you are already in a care home when your capital drops below the upper threshold.
You may also find the section on independent advice on this website useful.
Other Sources of Funding
NHS funding
You may be eligible for funding from the NHS, dependent on your health needs.
Further information is available at the NHS website.
Funded nursing team
If you are in a nursing home, the Funded Nursing Care Team need to be contacted to ask them to undertake an assessment to determine whether you are eligible for a registered nursing care contribution. The Funded Nursing Care Team can be contacted on 0300 3038294.