Paying for your care and finances

Once you have had a needs assessment and we have agreed that you are eligible for support, we will work out your personal budget, which is how much we think it will cost to buy the care you need.

How much you pay

Depending on your situation, you may need to pay towards the cost of your care and support or pay for it in full.

We will work out how much you will have to pay towards your care. We do this by doing a financial assessment. We will ask you about your savings, investments, and income.

If you have more than £23,250 in savings and investments, you will have to pay the full cost of your care.

We do not include the value of your home in the assessment unless you are moving into a care home.

Our Client Financial Services Team will make contact with you to request the evidence needed to enable a full financial assessment to be completed. When it has been completed, you will be sent a letter that will detail the calculation of your assessed contribution.

You should get independent financial advice to help you decide how to pay long-term care costs and make sure you are claiming all the benefits and allowances you are entitled to.

Find out whether you may need to pay for your care

Find out how the assessment is carried out and what is taken into account in our  Adult Social Care Charging Policy (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window) .

Please note that if your savings or investments are more than £23,250 and you decide to arrange and pay for your own care, then you do not need to involve the council.

In some circumstances, you will not have to pay for your care. For example, when you:

• receive support from Intermediate Care or Reablement Services
• are receiving care services, as part of Section 117 arrangements of the Mental Health Act 2007
• are receiving care services funded by the NHS under Continuing Health Care (CHC)
• have needs that can be met by equipment or minor adaptations

How to appeal a decision

If you disagree with the financial assessment, you can appeal.

You can only appeal on the grounds that the information used to assess your contribution is incorrect or if you have disability-related expenditure that exceeds the 30% disregard for your Disability Living Allowance.

The letter sent to you, which will advise you of your assessed contribution, will contain details on how you can appeal.

Appeal against the assessed contribution towards your care

We can arrange and pay for your care and support and send you an invoice for the amount that you have to pay. Or you can choose to arrange the support you need and receive the money from us as a direct payment to cover the cost.

If you are moving into a care home, the financial assessment will take into account your income, savings, and the value of your property.

If you are not able to pay all of the contribution, you might be able to use the value of your home to help pay your care costs using something called a deferred payment.

A deferred payment is where you pay the amount determined by your income and savings, and the amount based on your house is lent to you by the council.

This means your care home bills are paid in full, and you repay us the amount you borrowed later when you decide to sell your home, or we can be paid back after your death.

Who can help me?

If you have any questions regarding payment for your care, please contact the Client Financial Services Team by emailing cfservices@plymouth.gov.uk or the Direct Payments Team via dpqueries@plymouth.gov.uk. 

If you prefer to speak with someone, please call 01752 668000.