What you won't have to pay for

Regardless of your financial circumstances, there are some services that you won’t have to pay for.  

Adult social care services which are provided free of charge

You don’t have to pay for these services from the council:

• information and advice
• your adult social care assessment, helping you to plan your care, or re-assessing your needs
• your financial assessment or re-assessment
• meeting the eligible needs of carers - this includes carers of adults who are self-funding their own care.

Exceptions to charges for care and support  

We won’t charge you for your care and support if:

• you have Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease, or
• you are aged 18 or 19, your assessed capital or savings are £23,250 or less, you are still in full-time education, and your parents still receive child benefit for you. We may still need to complete a financial assessment and see evidence of child benefit payments.

We won’t charge you for:

• community equipment. This means aids or minor adaptations to your home to help you be safer and more independent.
• after-care provided under S117 of the Mental Health Act.  
• a time-limited period of intermediate care. This is short-term, intensive support to help you maintain or regain your independence. It may be provided:
  - to prevent you being unnecessarily admitted to hospital
  - as a ‘home first’ service when you are discharged from hospital (if you are eligible) while any longer-term needs are assessed
  - as ‘reablement support’ to help you relearn or regain your ability to carry out daily living tasks to prevent, reduce or delay needs for care and support.

Most people only need intermediate care for 1 or 2 weeks but, if necessary, it can continue free of charge for up to 6 weeks. You will have to pay for any care and support that you need after your intermediate care period ends. 

Non-means-tested NHS funded care

The council will not charge you for any care and support that the NHS has a duty to provide. Some people with severe, primarily health needs may be eligible for funded care through the NHS. 

If you have long-term complex health needs, you may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). This is free health and social care arranged and funded by the NHS. Continuing Healthcare can be provided in a variety of settings outside of hospital including in a care home or your own home. 

Eligibility will be determined following an assessment for NHS Continuing Healthcare, rather than any particular diagnosis or condition. 

More information is available on the NHS website.

You may be eligible for NHS-funded nursing care (FNC) if:

• you live in a care home that provides nursing care, and
• you are not eligible for Continuing Healthcare but have been assessed as needing care from a registered nurse. 

If you are eligible, the NHS will pay a flat rate towards the cost of your nursing care directly to the care home. You will still have to pay your contribution (determined by your financial assessment) towards the cost. 

More information is available on the NHS website.