For services arranged through Adult Social Care, we carry out a financial assessment to work out how much you can afford to contribute towards the cost of your care and support.
This looks at your income (including pensions, benefits, annuities, wages, rent from properties and land, etc.), and your capital, such as savings, stocks and shares and property.
If you have more than £ 23,250 in savings or investments then you will have to pay the full cost of your care. This threshold is determined nationally.
We will not count the value of your home while you are living in it. However, if you own a property that you do not live in, then we will count the value of this as savings. We also do not count the value of your home if you are going into residential care temporarily and will return to your home after an agreed time or if a member of your family, spouse or dependent is still living in the home. However, if you are going into residential care permanently we will look at how much your property is worth when we assess how much you can afford to pay.
If you would rather not tell us about your financial circumstances then you do not have to. However, if you decide to do this you will be responsible for the full cost of your care and support. In this situation we strongly recommend that you seek specialist information and advice before you make any commitments.
Personal budget
Your personal budget is the actual amount of money allocated by Adult Social Care to pay for services to meet your social care needs identified in your Adult Social Care Assessment.
You can use your personal budget to buy your own support independently, using money provided by Adult Social Care as a direct payment or Individual Service Funds (ISFs) , or you can ask Adult Social Care to arrange services on your behalf.
Further information
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● Age UK factsheet on paying for care and support at home (PDF, 697Kb)