Page 11 - First Choice-Care Quality Landscape Brochure #2 Neat

HOW TO APPLY FOR CARE FUNDING
Council Tax Reduction
Council Tax Reduction means that your council tax bill will be discounted, dependant upon
your circumstances. To qualify for this, you will be assessed on:
• Where you live
• Your circumstances including income, dependants, benefits, savings and pension
• Your household circumstances i.e. your partners financial assets and income
Council Tax Reduction has replaced the Council Tax Benefit.
HEATING BENEFITS
There are different benefits available towards heating and energy bills during the winter or
periods of severe cold weather
• Winter Fuel Payment – a payment to help fund your heating bills. This is available if you are
of a certain age and receive a State Pension and another social security benefit. This is
usually awarded automatically, but you may have to apply for this yourself if you are eligible.
• Cold Weather Payment – a payment provided when the average temperature in your area is
recorded, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days
between November and March.
• Warm Home Discount Scheme – a one-off payment that is paid directly to your energy
provider and removed from your gas or electricity bill.
Important note
The information provided relating to benefits is based upon our understanding of
current qualification criteria based upon information provided either by
www.dwp.gov.uk or www.direct.gov.uk. To assess your individual circumstances, you
should seek appropriate advice and should not act on the information contained here
as all circumstances are different.
If you or a loved one requires full-time continuing care,
whether provided by a residential care or nursing home or
courtesy of a live-in carer in your own home, but cannot pay for
it yourself you may be eligible to receive funding which covers
some or all of the cost.
Depending upon the nature of the care required you can apply
for care funding to your local authority or to the NHS
HOW TO APPLY FOR CARE FUNDING FROM YOUR
LOCAL AUTHORITY
Current UK Government legislation states that anyone who
needs health or social care as a result of old age; mental illness
or learning difficulties or physical or sensory disabilities should
be able to obtain care services and support, tailored to their
individual needs whether provided in the home or in a
residential facility.
The provision of social funding from your local authority is
dependent upon two assessments: an assessment of your care
needs and a financial assessment.
Everyone, whether or not they are seeking local authority
funding for care, is entitled to an assessment of their care
needs. Such an assessment is beneficial as it can help to identify
those care providers which are best equipped to meet the needs
of the person requiring care.
Following the assessment of your care needs your local
authority will need to assess your finances to determine
whether or not you are eligible for the partial or complete
funding of care provision. Broadly speaking, if your financial
assets are valued at less than £23,250 you should be eligible for
care funding from your local authority. If their value is below
£14,250 you should be entitled to the highest level of subsidy
although you may still be expected to contribute a proportion
of your income.
The first step to apply for care funding from your local authority
is to contact them in order to arrange a care needs assessment.
Contact details for your local authority can be found using the
UK Government’s local authority search engine.