Adult social care

After you apply for care, a member of the social care team will review your application. They will either be a council employee in social care or an agent on our behalf. They will get in touch with you to:

• Check if your needs meet the rules for receiving care.
• Discuss a support plan that works for you. Whether you need help at home, any support equipment, or daily help.
• Talk to you about your personal care budget.
• Explain whether you need to pay for all or just some of your care fees.

If a friend or relative is helping to care for you, they can discuss your situation with them too. They can ask for an assessment of their needs as a carer. We may need to help them so they can help you. This applies to children who are providing care, as well as adults.

Your outcome letter and Direct Debit

You will be sent a letter advising you of the outcome of your financial assessment. This will include a breakdown of your assessment. It will also show you how it has been calculated. This letter will also include a Direct Debit form for you to complete. This will set up a Direct Debit for your care services. Please upload your Direct Debit on our page for managing adult social care payments.

Uplifts

An uplift is an automatic letter that goes out with a copy of the review form. This goes out to all citizens under care. We check contributions every year based on state benefit increases. We will also inform you in writing about any changes each year.  

You must inform us of any changes in circumstances within one month of the change. Changes reported after this time will only take effect from the date we are told. Not reporting a change will mean that any increased charge starts from the date the change happened. 

Reviews and appeals

You can always ask for a review if you do not agree with your contribution. You can request a review based on the following reasons:

• If incorrect dates or amounts have been used.  
• If you think your contribution is wrong.  
• If you have extra income (i.e. benefits, state or private pension) or expenses that weren't on the financial assessment form.
• If your disability costs are higher than the standard allowance in the financial assessment.  
• If you have special personal circumstances that impact your finances. You may think it’s unfair to pay the assessed contribution. You can either write to or email us and ask for a review of the contribution for any of these reasons.  
• If your capital or savings fall below £23,250.

Review and appeal of charges

If you don't agree with the financial assessment or feel it doesn't show your situation correctly, you can ask us for a review. All reviews and appeals need to be submitted within six months of the assessment date.  

First stage – The review

First, contact us to explain what you think is wrong. Please include any supporting documents. We will review the circumstances and contribution. We might ask you for more proof, like receipts, to support your review. 

A member of the financial assessment and monitoring team will check your assessment. This is to make sure that there were no mistakes in the calculation. It will also ensure all relevant income is included and any relevant spending is ignored. We will then write to you with our findings and decision. 

Second stage – The appeal

If you are not satisfied with our decision, you can appeal for a second stage review. This will be carried out by an independent panel. The panel will consist of two senior managers who will look at your circumstances. You may be asked to provide more information to support your appeal.  

The panel may decide to:

• Uphold the original assessed contribution.
• Reduce the amount of contribution.
• Waive part or the whole of the contribution for a set period of time.

The panel will make a final decision on the amount of contribution in writing. This will be the amount you need to pay towards the cost of your care. You will still be responsible for the charges until the appeal decision is made.

Setting up your support plan

The needs assessor will discuss your support plan with you. We want to understand what it is you need to help you live comfortably. We will then review your support plan within a few months of starting your care.

Your care services will be reviewed once a year. We'll check what's working, what's not, and if it's still the best support for you. If you're unhappy or want to discuss your care, you can contact us and ask for a review.

Your personal care budget

After talking about your support plan, we will set up your personal care budget. Your personal care budget is what you use to pay for your care services. You can use your personal care budget only for support agreed in your care plan. Some of the ways you can spend your care budget include:

• Paying for personal care.
• Paying for your carer to take a break. This is called respite.
• Paying for a personal assistant to help you with support.
• Paying for a day opportunity. This can include a day in a day centre, activities at home, or away from home.

Paying for your care

If you need to pay for your care, there are a few different ways that you can manage your budget.

Pay by direct payment

This is a payment that is paid into your bank account on a regular basis to pay for your care. Direct payments are for those who are having care at home.

It can either go into your bank account or an account of someone who represents you. For example a family member. The bank account should be separate from their main bank account.

This is so the money being spent on your care and support can be seen clearly and tracked. Direct payments can give you more choice and control over your care.

To find out more about direct payments, see our direct payment guide. To discuss direct payments, call us on: 020 8736 6700.

Pay by deferred payment

Deferred payments are only for those who are moving into a care home. It is a way to pay for care if you do not have the money upfront. It lets you delay paying the full cost until later.

We will cover your care home fees, and you will pay them back later, usually when your home is sold. You don’t have to sell your house straight away, so you have more time to decide.

A deferred payment gives you peace of mind. Your care is paid for, even if you do not have the money right now.

To find out more about deferred payments, call us on: 020 8736 6802. For more advice about paying for your care, see:

• Money Advice Service.
• Society of Later Life Advisers.
• Paying for care and support (PDF).