What you can afford
Our charging policy covers all adult social care services that we provide. It is based on the government's guidance for social care charging – go to GOV.UK: local authority circulars.
Your contribution is based on what you can reasonably afford to pay, not on how many services you receive. To work out what you can afford to contribute we look at:
- your income
- your savings
- your outgoings
You won't have to sell the house you live in to pay for the care services you receive.
Your income and savings
Only the person who receives our services needs to give us information about their income and savings, unless you get a means-tested benefit as a couple.
If you don't give us your financial details, we will ask you to pay the full cost of the services we provide to you. Most types of income must be included, but some benefits and allowances may be wholly or partly ignored.
If you have capital or investments – such as savings, shares, ISAs or bonds – totalling:
- £23,250 or more – we will ask you to pay the full cost of the care services we provide
- between £14,250 and £23,250 – you will be asked to contribute towards your care
- less than £14,250 – this will be ignored
When we work out what you can afford, we make sure you have enough money left to live on. You won't have to contribute if your weekly income is found to be less than minimum levels set by the government. Your personal allowance will vary depending on your circumstances.