Support and help for adults

Care and support services 

The council has a duty to assess anyone who appears to have care and support needs, whether they are a service user or an unpaid carer. If you are over 18 years old, the council will: 

• assess your needs and give you advice 
• provide information about services and support available to you in your area 
• give you a carer’s assessment if you are an unpaid/family carer 

We will need to assess your social care needs to determine whether you are eligible for support from the council. 

How much will I have to pay? 

Social care services, unlike health care, are not free for everyone. Most people will have to contribute something towards the cost of their care with some people having to pay the full cost. 

Charges for services are different depending on whether you are in your own home and community or in a residential or nursing care home. 

The amount you will have to pay depends on the type of help you need and the savings and income that you have. There are three levels: 

• if you have income and savings of more than £23,250 you will need to pay the full cost of your care 
• if your income and savings are between £14,250 and £23,250 you will need to pay a contribution towards your care 
• if you have less than £14,250 you may not have to pay anything 

The council will carry out an assessment of need and if you meet the national eligibility criteria, we will agree what kind of care and support you need.  

Charging policy for adult social care (PDF 645MB)

Financial assessment  

You will be offered a financial assessment to assess how much you may have to pay towards the cost of these services.  

The financial assessment will look at your income, spending including disability related expenditure, savings and benefits you receive. 

Complete the financial assessment form  

Independent financial advice 

It is always good to know what all your options are when you are thinking about how to pay for care and support.  

We recommend asking for independent financial advice and discussing it with relatives and loved ones. Planning in advance will almost always make things easier. 

Third party top up 

We are only able to pay up to a certain limit towards the cost for your residential or nursing home each week.  

If you choose a home which charges more than this limit someone else must pay the extra. This is known as a 'third party top-up' and must come from a third party, for example, family members, charities or friends.