Funding Your Care Overview

Overview of Funding Your Care
There are various forms of funding available to help individuals and their families with the cost of home care and live-in care. If you need help with everyday tasks your local authority has a legal duty to carry out a social care assessment. The outcome of this assessment is to ascertain your individual care and support needs so that your local authority or trust can decide on the best way to help you. Find your local authority website: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council

The government provides financial assistance, advice and other forms of support to most elderly, sick and disabled people who need help with their personal care or nursing.You may be able to get some help from your local council - This help is FREE and benefits are not means tested:

• Small bits of equipment or home adaptations that cost less than £1,000 each.
• NHS care, NHS continuing healthcare, NHS-funded nursing care and care after you have been discharged from hospital.
• Attendance Allowance benefits.
• Personal Independence Payment (this has replaced the Disability Living Allowance)

Government information on funding:
https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN01911

When it comes to paying for care, There are 3 funding options available:
State-funded care
A mixed package - The council arranges funding for some of your care and you pay for the rest with a personal budget.Funding your CareMatch care could not be easier. Our process is completely transparent and guarantees peace of mind so that you can be sure that you are receiving the right care package for you.

Personal Budget and Direct Payments
Once the local authority has assessed you as requiring care they will determine whether they are prepared to start paying for care for you on your behalf, and how much they might pay. This sum is then allocated to you and is known as your Personal Budget.Your Personal Budget can either be spent for you by the local authority, when they either provide the actual care in house or select a care provider.Alternatively, it can be paid to you as a Direct Payment of cash.If you receive the funds as a Direct Payment you are able to select your preferred provider and use the money to pay for the care they provide. In either case YOU tell the authority what you want.

Direct Payments
If you take the payment as Direct Payments you must satisfy the authority that it will be spent wisely.Should you require any further advice or support regarding funding and personal budgets, organisations such as Paying for Care and Disability Rights UK will provide you with detailed and comprehensive information.
http://www.payingforcare.org/
http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/personal-budgets