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Paying for your care and support

Most Southwark residents will need to pay something towards the cost of their care and support. Find out if you're eligible for assistance and how you can get assessed. 

Eligibility for financial support

Depending on your income and your total assets and savings, you could receive financial support from the council toward the cost of your care. Or you may need to pay a contribution or the full amount. 

The Council’s financial assessment process calculates the contribution that you will need to make to the cost of the care.

If you want to see what your potential contribution would be, or to complete a financial assessment and send this to the Council, the quickest way is to use the Council’s Online Financial Assessment Form.

This easy-to-use, online assessment form allows you to submit a financial assessment to the Council and you will also get an indication of how much you might be asked to contribute toward your care.

The financial assessment process

Content

Chargeable services

Completing a financial assessment

Independent advice

Chargeable services

Social care, unlike health care, is not free for everyone and most people will be asked to pay something towards the cost of their care and support.

Most adult social care services are subject to contributions. These include:

  • placements in care homes and support living accommodation
  • housework and shopping
  • personal care in the home
  • support workers
  • carers breaks and respite care
  • transport
  • day centres

The exception to this is services the council provides free of charge if you've been assessed as needing them. These services aren't means-tested and it doesn't matter what your income is. These include:

  • small bits of equipment or home adaptations such as handrails for the stairs and a walking frame · benefits including Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • free care and support at home for up to 6 weeks after a stay in hospital (reablement)

To check whether you will be eligible for financial support from the council, you will need to complete a financial assessment.

We calculate the amount you need to pay toward your care, based on the total cost of the services you receive at home or in a placement.

The assessment determines how much, if anything, you will have to contribute toward the cost of your care.

You’ll pay for some or all your care if you:

  • don’t come under the council’s eligibility criteria for support but you want to arrange some care privately
  • don’t want to tell the council about your finances
  • have savings or other assets worth more than £23,250
  • have savings or other assets worth between £14,250 and £23,250

If you have questions about the process, contact us at 0800 358 0228 or email ChargingTeam.AdultSocialCare@southwark.gov.uk

Completing a financial assessment

The quickest way is to use our online financial assessment form. This easy-to-use, online assessment form allows you to submit a financial assessment to the council. You will also get an indication of how much you might be asked to contribute toward your care.

Alternatively, you can contact the Council’s Charging Team on 0800 358 0228 or email ChargingTeam.AdultSocialCare@southwark.gov.uk and ask for a financial assessment form to be posted or emailed to you. You will then need to post or email the form back to the Charging Team. Upon receipt of the completed form, the Council will work out how much you can afford to contribute based on:

  • how much it costs to provide care and support to meet your needs
  • your personal expenses allowance (or minimum income guaranteed if you receive non-residential care services); this allowance is set by the government and reflects how much money you should be left with every week

Independent advice

If you'd like independent advice, contact one of the nationally recognised organisations below:

Age UK

Housing Care

Citizens Advice Southwark

Money Helper

Society of Later Life Advisers

Page last updated: 02 April 2024

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