Self-Funders

If you have capital (savings and assets) worth £23,250 or over, or a weekly income high enough to pay for care home fees, you will not qualify for funding from the council. Instead, you will need to pay for your own care. This is called ‘self-funding’.

You may need to pay for long-term care out of your own funds if you:

• Have had a needs assessment and you do not qualify for help from us to pay for your care

• Have chosen not to have a needs assessment to find out if you qualify for help

• Want to enhance your level of care at home or within a care home by paying a little more

• Must pay the full cost of your care but your money is tied up in property

There are some things we can do to help you when you have to self-fund your care:

If you have savings and assets worth £23,250 or more, or a weekly income high enough to pay for your care home fees, you will not qualify for help with your care costs. You are known as a ‘self-funder’.

As a self-funder you will need to pay for the full cost of your care. We have put together some information to help you find a way to do this.

 

How to defer your care costs as a property owner

 

If you have value in your home that means you must pay for your own residential care you could ask us for a deferred payment agreement. This allows you to delay paying us for your care until you die, or your property is sold.

 

Arrange your care as a self-funder

 

As you are self-funding your care, you have a choice about who arranges your care. You can still ask us to arrange your care for you.

http://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/paying-your-care/support-self-funders

http://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/paying-adult-social-care/self-funding-residential-care

 

Care provided by the council

 

If you would like the council to arrange your care, the first step is to ask us to request a needs assessment. This is so they can work with you to decide what care you need.

You can also ask for a financial assessment to make sure you do not qualify for any help with costs.

 

What you’ll pay if the council arrange your care

 

If you ask the council to arrange your care, you will be charged a one-off admin fee of £141 at the start of your care. West Northamptonshire charge this fee, however North Northamptonshire do not.

Fee amounts correct as of April 2023. Fees are reviewed on a yearly basis and are subject to change.

These fees cover our costs to:

• Buy care and support services on your behalf

• Raise invoices to recharge you and collecting payment

• Manage your accounts

• Arrange quality assurance checks of care providers

 

When a relative or friend is paying your extra care home costs

 

If the result of your financial assessment is that you qualify for the council to pay your care home fees, you will only receive funds up to a maximum set amount, known as usual cost.

Usual cost is the standard amount expected by a care home that can meet your care needs to charge, and we must be able to show that there is at least 1 suitable care home available at this usual cost.

If you choose a care home above usual cost, any extra costs, above usual cost, is referred to as either top-ups or additional payments.

 

Who pays top-ups

 

You must ask a relative, such as a son or daughter, or friend, to pay any costs above usual cost if you:

• Choose a care home that charges more than your allowance

• Decide on more expensive accommodation within a care home with usual cost accommodation

If the council are unable to find you a suitable placement at a care home within usual cost and as a result, they arrange to place you in more expensive accommodation out of necessity rather than preference, you will not be asked to pay the top-up costs.

 

What someone making top-up payments should know

 

The person making the top-up payment on your behalf must understand that:

• The amount they must pay could go up if the care home reviews its charges

• Your funding assistance payments will be regularly reviewed and may change

- this could make a difference to the amount they must pay payment top-ups

will be required for as long as you stay in that care home, and this could be a

number of years

• If the payment is not made, or if circumstances change for the person paying and they can no longer afford to pay; you must move to accommodation that charges no more than usual cost