Financial Assessment
If you wish to receive financial support with the cost of care and support from your council, you will need to complete a financial assessment.
A financial assessment needs to be completed in order to determine how much you will have to pay towards your care and support, and how much financial support the council will provide. This is because unlike healthcare, social care is not free for most people. The more income and or assets you have, the more you will have to contribute towards your care and support costs.
Telling your local authority about your finances will help them calculate how much you can afford to pay towards your care and support costs. It will also help to identify any additional benefits you may be entitled to.
You can choose not to discuss your finances with your local authority. If you don't, you'll pay the full cost of your care and support.
The financial assessment will ask about the money you receive, assets you own, and any savings or investments you have. It will also look at the amount you spend on essential household bills, additional expenses related to any disability you may have, and work out your care and support cost contribution.
Once you have completed your financial assessment and provided any supporting evidence, your local authority will let you know how much you may need to pay towards your social care and support costs.
You must tell your local authority if your circumstances change. This might include changes to your income or assets, including property, benefits, or housing situation. This may change how much you need to contribute towards your social care and support costs.
If you have any questions about how your financial assessment has been worked out, you can ask your local authority to explain it to you.