Living at Home

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Funding and Planning

Funding and Planning - to assist you in making the funding and planning process more simple

We recognise that selecting home care can be challenging, which is why we work with you to make the funding and planning process as simple as possible.

 

Living at Home can give you the information you need to make an educated decision about home care funding and planning.

When you contact us, you will be given a cost estimate before we do a home care assessment to determine the level and type of home care you require.

Heath Cost Funding
Our home care packages can be adjusted to match your specific needs, but we always recommend that our care calls last at least one hour to offer the greatest level of care for you or a family member. If you or a loved one over the age of 18 needs home care, you may be eligible for additional financial assistance. Give Joanne or the team a call to discuss your home care funding and planning questions. You can contact us on 01792 588 111

Carer’s Allowance

You may be eligible for a Carer’s Allowance (£67.60 a week) if you are 16 or older and spend more than 35 hours a week caring for someone with disabilities.

People who are in full-time education, get certain other benefits, or earn more than £123.00 per week after certain deductions are not eligible for this taxable benefit.

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance is available to those aged 65 and over who require assistance with personal care due to a physical or mental handicap.

This is not means-tested and is a tax-free government benefit.

People over 65 who require regular assistance or constant monitoring during the day or at night are eligible for the base rate of Attendance Allowance (£60.00 per week).

Those over 65 who require assistance and supervision at all times of the day and night, or who are suffering from a terminal disease, are eligible for a higher amount of Attendance Allowance (£89.60 per week).

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help with extra living costs if you have both:
  • A long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
  • Difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition
You can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings, or are getting other benefits. Personal Independence Payments may be available to anyone under the age of 65. Lower weekly rate Higher weekly rate Daily living component £60.00 £89.60 Mobility component £23.70 £62.55

Give Joanne or the team a call to discuss your home care funding and planning questions.

You can contact us on 01792 588 111

Funding from social services

Social services funding comes into effect if the person needing home care has less than £24,000 in savings, not including the value of their home.

You may have to pay up to a maximum of £100 a week if:

  • You have a high level of disposable income
  • You have savings and investments over £24,000
Swansea Council Logo

When deciding charges for non-residential home care, local authorities must allow you to keep a set amount to help meet your daily living costs.

If this is the case, the first step is to request a community care assessment from your local adult social services department.

If the person at issue is considered eligible for council-funded care, the local authority will set a budget based on their care requirements.

The maximum hourly charge for home care services varies depending on the jurisdiction.

It’s unlikely to cover the entire hourly cost of a good home care provider like Living at Home but call us to discuss funding and planning options.

Thanks to a government initiative to give individuals more options, you may now take control of your budget by having funding deposited into your bank account and topping up the hourly cost of receiving care from an agency of your choice.

This option is known as direct payments, and it is intended to give people more control and choice over the funding and planning of their home care support.

Direct Payments

Neath Port Talbot Council Logo

Individuals with direct payments have control and choice over their own social care support funding and planning options.

Direct payment funds can be used for purchasing home care services from Living at Home

Neath Port Talbot and Swansea council’s websites have information on how you can organise your own support through direct payments. Social Care Wales has a web page that explains what direct payments are, who is eligible for them, how they are assessed, and what they can be used for.

Give Joanne or the team a call to discuss your home care funding and planning questions.

You can contact us on 01792 588 111

Personal Health Budgets

The NHS funds personal health budgets, which can be used to implement care and support plans that the individual and their local NHS team agree on.

They are an optional way to achieve your care and support requirements, providing you with more freedom over your decision making.

After a care and support plan has been agreed upon, the individual can manage their budget themselves or have it managed for them by the NHS or a third party.

Health Budgets and care - Living at home

If they manage their own finances, they will be given direct payments to spend on home care services that they have chosen and organised through funding and planning options.

Alternatively, the NHS team or a third party will assist them in identifying the services they require, as well as arranging and paying for them.

The NHS entirely funds personal health budgets, which cannot be topped up.

NHS Continuing Health Care Funding

The NHS may be able to help you get free continuing health care if you have a complicated medical problem or have special needs because of a disability, an accident, or a sickness.

This is more commonly offered to people who require nursing care rather than social assistance.

If you are being cared for at home, it may cover healthcare expenditures, personal care, lodging, and help for carers.

To see if you qualify for free NHS Continuing Care, you must first go through an initial screening followed by a more detailed evaluation by a team of two or more health and social care specialists involved in your care.

If your health is declining quickly, ask for a fast-track evaluation to bypass the first screening. If your circumstances change after the initial assessment and you don’t qualify for NHS support, ask your GP or social worker for a review of funding and planning options. Some of your care needs may still be eligible for financing from the local government. Follow this link to learn more about NHS Continuing Care. Give Joanne or the team a call to discuss your home care funding and planning questions. You can contact us on 01792 588 111
NHS Swansea Care - Living at home

To begin your journey of care and support…

home care swansea

Give the team a call

If you or a loved one think we can help, please contact Joanne and the team

home care swansea

Arrange a visit

We will visit you at your home to discuss the care and support needs.

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Meet your new friend

We’ll arrange for home visits and reviews to ensure best care and support

Funding and Planning FAQ

When will my local authority pay for home care?

Your local authority will perform a free needs assessment to determine the level of home care support you require.

When will I have to pay top-up fees?

If you qualify for financial assistance from your local authorities, you should be given a choice of home care service providers that meet your requirements.

If you prefer a more costly home care provider than the ones you've been offered, you, a family member, or friend can pay the difference between what the council is willing to pay and what your preferred home care provider charges you.

This is known as a third-party top-up fee or home care top-up fee.

When would I be a self-funder?

You will have to arrange and pay for home care if you:

• Have money and assets in excess of the capital limits for care

• Have a steady source of income to pay for your home care needs

• Are ineligible for local government funding following a needs assessment

Is it possible to give money away to avoid paying care costs?

The short answer is that you cannot simply give away your money.

 

However, there are several instances in which you may be able to give your assets away.

This means they aren't factored into any calculations used by your local authorities to determine the value of your estate for calculating home care costs.

What benefits can you claim if you are self-funding home care?

If you pay for all home care fees on your own, you can claim Attendance Allowance, which means you will continue to receive payments as usual.

If your home care is paid for by the local authority, you will only get Attendance Allowance for the first 28 days.

Do dementia sufferers have to pay home care fees?

In most situations, the person living with dementia will be required to contribute to their home care fees.

What assets are exempt from home care fees?

Exempt assets include:

 

• Personal possessions

• Surrendering value of a life insurance policy

• Capital value of an annuity

• Capital value of an occupational pension

• Value of a reversionary trust (trust fund, not land)

• Value of a life interest (trust fund and land)

How can I safeguard my inheritance from the cost of care fees?

You can place a house under trust arrangements such as a protective property trust if you are still healthy and do not require care.

Also known as property trust wills, this type of trust allows you to set aside a portion of your estate for your loved ones to inherit after you pass away.

How far back can asset deprivation be traced?

When the council conducts the financial assessment, they will inquire about both previous and current possessions.

Regarding any loss of assets, the council doesn't have a time limit on how far back it can look into your finances.

How much money can you keep before having to pay for care?

Currently, if your personal wealth exceeds £23,250, you will almost certainly be required to pay your home care costs in full.

If your personal wealth is less than £23,250, the local council may be able to assist you, although you may still be required to contribute to your home care costs.

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