Introduction
This section applies if you need care in your own home or in community-based settings such as extra care housing, supported living accommodation or Shared Lives arrangements. It also applies if you need a short break or respite care in a care home.
Your home and daily living costs
If you own your home, we will not include the value of your home in your financial assessment for non-residential care. We may take the value of your home into account if you need temporary care in a care home for more than 52 weeks.
We will not leave you with less than the national government minimum income allowance, plus an additional £5 per week for daily living costs after paying for your care.
Disability benefits
The law allows councils to include the full amount of the daily living element of your Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA) in non-residential assessments.
To support people with more severe disabilities, the council agreed from April 2025 that the difference between standard and higher rate benefits would be disregarded. This means that everyone who receives the daily living element of PIP/DLA/AA will only ever have the standard amount included in their non-residential assessments.
Notice periods and charges if you cancel your care
We will continue to provide support and charge you for it unless:
- you tell us that you don’t need it, or
- you are assessed as no longer being eligible for support.
Please contact your care provider giving 48 hours’ notice if you are going to be away and won’t need support, for example if you will be on holiday or have a planned hospital admission. If you are cancelling a day centre session, you should contact the care provider and our Adult Social Care Helpdesk giving 2 weeks’ notice.
Please be aware that cancelling your care will not reduce your charges unless cancellation reduces the actual cost of your care to below your assessed weekly contribution. This is because the amount you pay only covers part of your care costs.
See the following example:
David usually receives 3 hours’ domiciliary (home) care every day - a total of 21 hours per week.
The cost of this care to the council is £420 per week (£20 per hour).
David’s maximum contribution to his care has been assessed as £120 per week, with the council paying the remaining £300.
This week, David is going to see his family, meaning he will only require care for 3 days. The total cost for 9 hours’ care is £180. David must still pay his maximum contribution of £120, with the council paying the remaining £60.
Next week, David only requires care for 1 day. The total cost for 3 hours’ care is £60. David will only be required to pay £60 for this week.
Note that client contribution is always assessed as per week, rather than per day. The client contribution must be paid first, before the council adds its contribution.
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