How we calculate what you may have to pay towards your care

Adult social care in England is, unlike healthcare, not a free service. Many people will have to pay a contribution towards, or pay the full cost of, their care and support.

We calculate this by getting our financial assessment and welfare benefits team to work with you to look at the details of your savings and other assets as well as your income, (which for certain types of care will include the value of your main home).

We will need to verify these details and will ask to see paperwork such as bank statements.

We may also follow up where it appears that you have given away assets and this has the effect of reducing the amount you pay towards your care. This is called deprivation.

We then apply national rules to see whether we can help with paying for your care and what contribution you might have to pay. It is important that we get the correct information as soon as possible. Any delay can result in you being charged the full cost of your care, although once we get the information we need, we will make any changes to your financial assessment. 

Savings and other assets (capital)  Back to top

These can include:

• the value of your main home (for long-term residential care financial assessments)
   
• money held in bank, building society and post office accounts including ISAs
   
• savings certificates, stocks, shares, bonds, unit trusts and premium bonds
   
• businesses, land or buildings in this country or abroad
   
• cash
   
• trust funds

Whether you have to pay towards your care because of any savings and other assets you have depends on how much you have and what type of care you will be getting.

Long term residential or nursing care

If you have more than £23,250 in savings and other assets it is unlikely that we can help with funding even if the social worker’s care assessment identifies that your care needs meet the national eligibility criteria. You are what is called a 'self-funder' and are responsible for arranging and paying for your own care. 

Deferred payment agreement

Please see our page on deferred payment agreements for further information.

Care delivered in your own home

If you have more £23,250 in savings and other assets we will not provide any funding towards the cost of your care, even if the social worker’s care assessment identifies that your care needs meet the national eligibility criteria.

You are what is called a 'self-funder'. You will either need to arrange your own care, or you can ask us to do so. In this case you will be asked to pay the full cost of the care service you receive plus our administration costs for arranging them.

As we are providing services to you whilst you remain in your own home, the value of your home is not counted when calculating this limit.

Savings and other assets below the capital limits

If you have savings and other assets below the capital limits described above (£23,250 for long-term residential care or care at home) then you will receive a financial assessment to see how much you can pay towards the cost of your care  based on those assets and your income.

Savings and other assets are less than £14,250

We will ignore these completely and work out your charge based on your income only.

Savings and other assets are between £14,250 and up to and including the capital limits

We will add 'tariff income' to your income, i. e. we will assume an income of £1 a week for every £250 (or part of £250) you have above the £14,250.

Income  Back to top

When working out your contribution to the cost of your care services, we will look at any income which is in your name. There are national rules about how we treat different types of income. Some is ignored in full or in part.

Income counted in full

This will include:

• benefits (including the state retirement pension)
   
• any occupational (works) or personal pension you receive
   
• most annuity incomes
   
• any ' tariff income' we have calculated based on your savings and other assets

Partly ignored income

National rules require us to ignore a part of some benefits and pensions, including:

• war disablement pension
   
• war widow’s or widower’s pensions
   
• the savings credit element of pension credit

Income we do not include

National rules require us to ignore some types of income when assessing your ability to pay towards the cost of your care services. This includes items such as:

• earnings
   
• specialist payments (e.g. Macfarlane Trust payments)
   
• the mobility components of disability benefits such as Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) (An easy read version of this information is available on the Government's website). 

Outgoings and expenses

In certain situations we can make an allowance against your assessed income for particular costs.

Some of these are national allowances for everyday living expenses which everyone gets and which you will automatically be given, such as:

• Personal Expenses Allowance (if you are in long term residential or nursing care)
   
• Minimum Income Guarantee (for care in your own home)

We may also be able to make allowances for property related expenses to allow you to continue to pay certain costs relating to your main home if you are receiving care in it, or if your stay in residential or nursing care is short-term.

For care in your own home, we may also allow certain disability related expenses if you receive disability benefits. We will automatically allocate you such an allowance based on the level of disability benefit you receive, but if you think that this is not enough to cover your own disability related costs, you can appeal and we will consider a personalised amount where you can provide evidence of the costs.

Disposing of savings or capital (deprivation)  Back to top

If you have 'disposed' (i.e. given away or transferred) of savings, capital or income, either directly or via a trust, we may decide that you have done this with the express purpose of avoiding or reducing your contribution to the cost of your care. If we do, we are allowed by law to treat you as still having that asset, which means you could be charged up to the full cost of your care.

We will take into account all the circumstances when deciding whether you have deprived yourself of these assets, and it will be for you to prove that you no longer own the assets and to satisfy us that its disposal was not done to reduce charges.

Disposing of assets can include making large gifts to relatives, or transferring savings or the title deeds of a property to another person or into a trust.

Your assessed weekly contribution and how it is reviewed  Back to top

After we have completed your financial assessment, we will send you a calculation sheet showing how we have worked out the amount that you need to contribute towards your services.

Your 'maximum weekly contribution' is the sum that we calculate you can afford to pay towards the services you receive each week. However, you may not have to pay this in full if the total weekly cost of the services provided to you is less, in which case you will pay your 'assessed weekly contribution'.

Each year, or at any other time when there is a significant change in your circumstances or the care we provide, we reassess the amount you will have to pay and let you know of any changes. This is a good time to check that your financial information is correct and up to date.

You should let us know of any change in your financial circumstances as it may affect your financial assessment. 

Invoice Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)   Back to top

If you have received an invoice from us and you need to update us about any changes, please see the FAQ’s below to see if they provide the answers that you need.

Your invoice explained Dummy-Invoice-John-Smith.pdf (staffordshire.gov.uk).

I have not received my invoice

• You will only receive an invoice once your care has been arranged and a financial assessment has taken place. Occasionally there may be a delay in receiving your first invoice but once this is entered your invoices will be 4 weekly. Charges will always commence from when your chargeable care starts.

Payments, statement of account or balance enquiries, direct debit queries, standing orders and reminders: 

• Please ring the payments team on 01785 276368 or email payments@staffordshire.gov.uk.
  
  

Charging Periods

• We charge for the care you receive from Sunday to Saturday each week.
  
  

Replacement Care (Respite)

• You will be charged from the date of admission including the day of discharge.
  
  

Increasing or reducing your care

• If you wish to change or discuss your care delivery, please speak to the Duty Team at your local district office.
• Hospital visits, missed care or calls, cancelled calls or Respite Care: please notify us by email jfu.non.residential@staffordhire.gov.uk or call Staffordshire Cares 0300 111 8010 to report any changes.
• If there have been any changes to your care this may not be shown on your invoice immediately.

Cancelled or missed calls

• Hospital visits, missed care calls, cancelled calls or Respite Care: please notify us by email jfu.non.residential@staffordshire.gov.uk or call Staffordshire Cares 0300 111 8010 to report any changes.
• The Care provider requires a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. 
• If you have notified us of a cancelled or missed call an adjustment may be made to your next invoice.

Replacement Care (Reablement) 

• This is non chargeable for a period UP TO 6 weeks but not for a guaranteed 6-week period. Your care needs will be reviewed during this period. Please see our pages about reablement.
• You will be charged for your care after your reablement period ends please see our funding the cost of care pages for further information.

Setting up a direct debit

• Paying by direct debit is our preferred option. Please email payments who will send you a form to complete. Further information about direct debits can be found on our setting up Direct Debit payments with us page.

I have received an invoice after care has stopped and I am still being charged?

Please let us know by contacting us on email jfu.non.residential@staffordshire.gov.uk or call Staffordshire Cares 0300 111 8010 to report any changes.

I want to receive my invoice by email?

• If you wish to have your invoice emailed to you, please let us have the email address by emailing us at cc3vendorchanges@staffordshire.gov.uk or contacting Staffordshire Cares on 0300 111 8010 providing the customer number from the invoice.

I need to report a death?

Please contact us by emailing or calling us with the following information.

• Date of Death.
• Client ID or Customer Number (this will be on your invoice).
• Last date care was delivered.
• Prior to the person passing were they admitted to hospital/hospice/at home. If so, when?

If so when:

• Details of the person dealing with the estate – ie executor, Solicitors or Power of Attorney.

Credit Notes

• If you receive a credit because care has ended,  and there is no on-going care, any credits issued will be offset against money owed for care which has not been paid.

Your invoice explained

The below document displays an example of an invoice you may receive for care. Each section is explained on the second page of the document. 

Your invoice explained (197 KB)

Easy read version

An easy read version of this information is available for download below. 

How we calculate what you may have to pay towards your care - Easy Read (426 KB)