Paying for your own care (self-funding)
You will not be entitled to help with the cost of care from your local council if:
- You have savings worth more than £23,250
- You own your own property (this only applies if you’re moving into a care home)
You can ask your council for a financial assessment (means test) to check if you qualify for any help with costs.
Read more about the financial assessment on the NHS website
You can choose to pay for care yourself if you don’t want a financial assessment
How to arrange your care as a self-funder
You can:
- Arrange and pay for care yourself without involving the council
- Ask the council to arrange and pay for your care (the council will then bill you, but not all councils offer this service and they may charge a fee)
Find out what care you need
Even if you choose to pay for your care, your council can do an assessment to check what care you might need. This is called a needs assessment.
For example, it’ll tell you whether you need home help from a paid carer for 2 hours a day or 2 hours a week and precisely what they should help you with.
The assessment is free and anyone can ask for one, find out more about the assessment on the NHS website
Financial and telephone help
You can get unbiased expert advice from a specialist care fees adviser.
They’ll help you compare all your options before you decide what’s right for you.
Find a specialist care fees adviser in your area with:
- PayingForCare, a free information service for older people
- The Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) on 0333 2020 454
You can get advice via telephone from:
- Age UK on Freephone 0800 169 6565
- Independent Age on Freephone 0800 319 6789
- The Money Advice Service on Freephone 0800 138 7777
For more information and advice on selling your house, your savings and what you might be entitled to for free, visit the NHS website.
There is also more information on NHS-funded nursing care and NHS continuing healthcare available on the NHS website.
Information from the NHS website is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
When the council might pay for your care
You might be eligible for the local council to pay towards the cost of your care if you have less than £23,250 in savings.
Exactly how much your council will pay depends on what care you need and how much you can afford to pay.
Find out if the local council will pay towards your care
The first step is for your council to do an assessment to check how much help you need. This is called a needs assessment.
The needs assessment is free and anyone can ask for one. Find out more about the assessment on the NHS website
If you need care, the council will then do a financial assessment (means test) to work out what you will have to pay towards the cost of your care.
The means test works out if:
- The council pays the full cost of your care
- The council pays some of the cost and you pay the rest
- You pay for all of your care
How the council pays for and arranges your care
If the council is going to pay towards your care, you’ll get a personal budget. The amount will be worked out when the council makes a care and support plan with you.
You can choose to get your personal budget in three ways, as:
- A direct payment into your bank account each month for you to pay for your care – the council will usually ask for receipts to see you’re spending your money on care
- The council arranges and pays for your care for you
- A mixed personal budget – the council arranges some of your care and you arrange and pay for the rest with a personal budget
You can speak to someone for advice on personal budgets by calling the Disability Rights UK helpline free on 0330 995 0404
Your rights
If the council is arranging your care, you still have the right to decide how your personal budget is spent.
Care homes
If you need to live in a care home, you have the right to choose where you live. The council must give you at least one affordable choice. Some councils have a list of homes they recommend.
If you choose a care home that’s more expensive than your personal budget, a relative or friend can pay the difference (this is called a top up fee). They will have to sign an agreement with the council and care home which sets out the costs, how often they have to be paid, and what will happen if they can no longer make the payment.
Home help
If you’re not happy with the type of paid home help the council suggests, you can look for services the council provides and ask them to change it if they can.
How to complain
You can challenge your council’s decision if:
They refuse to pay for care services
You’re unhappy with the service you’ve been offered
You don’t think they’re paying enough towards your care
First complain directly to your local council. Your council should have a formal complaints procedure on its website. Or you can phone them.
- Leicester City Council complaints
- Leicestershire County Council complaints
- Rutland County Council complaints
If you’re not happy with the way the council handles your complaint, take it to the local government and social care ombudsman. An ombudsman is an independent person who’s been appointment to look into complaints about organisations.
Financial and telephone help
You can get unbiased expert advice from a specialist care fees adviser.
They’ll help you compare all your options before you decide what’s right for you.
Find a specialist care fees adviser in your area with:
- PayingForCare, a free information service for older people
- The Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) on 0333 2020 454
You can get advice via telephone from:
- Age UK on Freephone 0800 169 6565
- Independent Age on Freephone 0800 319 6789
- The Money Advice Service on Freephone 0800 138 7777
For more information and advice on selling your house, your savings and what you might be entitled to for free, visit the NHS website.
There is also more information on NHS-funded nursing care and NHS continuing healthcare available on the NHS website.
Information from the NHS website is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
Debt and Gambling
