Consent to financial assessment

We will ask you to sign a form to agree or decline to have a financial assessment. This must be returned to us within four weeks - we are unable to complete the assessment without it.

If you do not wish to have a financial assessment (for example, if you know that you won’t qualify for financial support because your capital assets or savings are more than £23,250), or you do not return the consent form within four weeks, we will determine that you are willing to pay for the full cost of your care and support.

You can still request a financial assessment if you change your mind or your circumstances change. We will start your financial assessment once consent has been received.

Consent for someone else to manage your financial assessment or care payments for you

When we ask for your consent, we will also ask if you have someone who manages your money or if there is someone you would like to deal with your financial assessment for you. If you do, we will ask you to sign a consent form to allow us to contact them directly. Often this is a family member or friend.

You remain legally responsible for paying for your care and support unless the person managing your money is your ‘legally appointed representative’. This is someone who:

• holds a registered power of attorney which authorises them to make financial decisions for you, or
• is a Deputy appointed by the Court of Protection (see the section on where to get independent financial advice).

We will ask to see evidence of authority if the person managing your money/payments is your legally appointed representative or a Department for Work and Pensions Appointee (someone authorised by the Department to deal with your benefits).