Paying for care
Find out how your council decides how much they will pay
towards your care and how they work this out.
Social care, unlike health care, is not free to everyone.
Councils only have a limited amount of money, and may choose to pay
for only those people who are in most need of help.
Am I eligible for financial help?
When you contact your council about getting a care service they
will carry out an assessment of your needs, called a care
assessment.
The council – using government guidelines – will decide what
level your care needs are. They will use a scale of:
- low
- moderate
- substantial
- critical.
Depending on where you live, if your needs are
low or moderate, you may not be entitled to the free care that is
available.
If your needs do match the level set by your council, the
council will want to carry out a financial
assessment.
Depending on your income, savings or assets, such as your home,
you may have to pay for some or all of your care.
Next steps