Funding the cost of care and support

No matter what the outcome is, we will still offer you advice. We can work with you to develop a care and support plan which will set out how your needs can be best met.

We can also arrange any non-residential care and support for you. 

Please note

We are not permitted by law to arrange residential or nursing care for you.

There will be an initial arrangement fee plus an ongoing annual fee to cover the administrative costs of doing so. Please contact us for the current fees.

We will charge you an initial arrangement fee plus ongoing annual fees to cover our costs of making such arrangements. You will be informed at the time what the current fees are.

If you do not qualify for any financial help, or if you choose not to tell us about your financial circumstances you will have to pay the full cost of care. You will be known as a self-funder (this is a link to the NHS website and arrangements may be different for SCC).

• A person with capital over £23,250 is a self-funder and must pay for the full cost of their services until their capital falls below the upper capital limit or they request a deferred payment agreement (for residential care only). You should contact the council again when your capital has diminished to about £30,000 so that we can reassess your finances.
• Councils can provide funding from the date you contact them. We will not reimburse you if your savings are less than £23,250 before you contact us.

An example invoice (197 KB) is available to view which will explain the different parts of the invoice.  

An easy read version of the example invoice (566 KB) is also available to download.

What is the process for arranging funding assistance from the council?

If you are a self-funder and are concerned that your capital is going to fall below the upper capital limit (currently £23,250) then the first step is to get in touch with us on 0300 111 8010.

You need to tell us that you are running out of funds and will need funding assistance. Someone, such as a relative or care home manager, can do this on your behalf but, because of data protection legislation, the council may need to speak to you directly.

Once the referral is received, the Contact Centre will refer you to the relevant social work team who will confirm if you have eligible assessed care needs. If this is confirmed they will arrange to send out a Financial Assessment form to be completed. Once returned, Staffordshire County Council’s Adult and Childrens Financial Services team will review your financial circumstances to carry out a full Financial Assessment. They will undertake a ‘diminishing capital calculation’ to work out when your funds will fall below the upper capital limit of £23,250. If this will be within the next four months, your case will be allocated to a Social Care Practitioner.

When will you be entitled to funding?

As long as you meet the eligibility criteria for residential care, the council will fund your care home from whichever date below is the latest:

1. The date that you approach the council for funding assistance, subject to you providing evidence to support your claim (see 3 below), and
2. The date that your funds fall below the capital limit, and
3. The date that evidence to support your claim is received (if you delay in providing the evidence). This will be the case if there are no mitigating circumstances which prevented you from providing the information earlier. If there were mitigating circumstances, only 1 and 2 above will apply.

Staffordshire County Council's Adult and Childrens Financial Services Team will calculate the provisional funding date and notify you by letter and inform your allocated social worker who will confirm an agreed funding date with you. Once the financial assessment form is processed you will also be told how much you will be asked to continue to pay towards your care after your capital drops below the capital limit.

Please note: If you approach the council when your funds are already below the capital limit, the council will not put you back up to the limit.

Planning your future care and support needs can be complicated and paying for it can be expensive.

You should always seek independent financial advice. 

You should also see if you are eligible to claim any welfare benefits. Use this free benefits calculator to check to see if you are entitled.