Financial Assessments
Across the country many Social Service Departments ask for a financial contribution for a package of care. However, do not let this deter you from asking for an assessment, as this contribution may be nominal depending on the financial situation of the person you care for. Once Social Services feel they can help by putting together a package of care, and if you and the person you care for are in agreement, you will be then asked to fill in a Financial Assessment Form.
Once the forms are completed they are then sent to a Financial Assessment Team who work for the County Council to calculate the costs. The household expenditure is taken into account when calculating these costs. This will include your income and expenditure, and day-to-day living expenses, including your mortgage or rent. You may be entitled to benefits which will help pay for the charges.
You will then receive a note of the assessed charges, but if you do not agree with them or you are unable to pay them, you will need to contact the Assessment Section and ask for a review. If after the review you still do not agree with the charges you do have the right to appeal. These charges only apply for the package of care to the Service User, i.e. the person you care for. If you as a Carer receive services directly resulting from a Carer’s Assessment, such as Carers' Direct Payments or Carers' Break Voucher, these services are currently not charged for.
What can you be charged for?
- Domiciliary Care or Home Care
- Personal Assistance Scheme
- Live-in Care
- Residential and Nursing Care
- Day Services, including meals and transport
- Respite Care
- Major adaptations to property
- Equipment and minor adaptations to property
What do they take into account?
- Your income and expenditure
- Your day to day living expenses, including rent and mortgage
How they calculate your contribution?
Your Care Manager will give you some forms to complete and will help you to fill them in, if you wish. The forms will give you detailed information to help you understand what to do. The completed forms are then sent to the Financial Assessments Section who will work out if any charge will be made. You will get information on how your contribution has been calculated. The charge will depend on your ability to pay. If you choose not to fill in the forms, you will be charged the maximum amount. The charge to you will never be greater than the full cost of providing the service.
For more information contact Surrey County Council on 08456 009 009. Your Carer Support and Advocacy Worker can help you understand how your charges have been, or will be applied.
Things to think about when completing a Financial Assessment
Privately arranged care services
You should mention on the assessment form if you pay for a private Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist or Speech Therapist. Do you pay for a gym or do you pay anyone privately to care for the person you care for? If you do, include details on the assessment form of what you pay and why. Do you pay privately for Chiropody, Osteopathy or Acupuncture? If yes, record what you pay for these services.
Domestic Help
You should mention if you have a gardener because nobody in the household can manage gardening. Do you have a cleaner? Do you pay someone to shop, iron or collect a pension? Is this because you or the person you care for cannot do these things because of illness, disability or heavy caring duties? If your answer is ‘yes’, then you need to mention this on an assessment form.
Extra Fuel Costs
This item is always very hard to quantify as it is hard to know what your fuel bills would be if someone in the household wasn’t ill or disabled. Your fuel bills will be higher if you have to charge a wheelchair battery, power an electric hoist, pressure mattress or a lift. These are all things you should mention. Do you have the heating on higher or longer due to the person you care for being forever cold? Do you use more hot water because of bathing or do you have air conditioning? If you send a copy of your fuel bills to the Charging Department, also remember to mention if you have any rooms in your house that you do not heat due to cost.
Extra Water Charges
If your household has a water meter take care to mention this on the assessment.
Special Diets
This section can easily be forgotten, but if you buy things like extra fruit, probiotic foods, special items to help control cholesterol or expensive fruit juices, take care to mention them. If the person you care for is inactive and has digestive problems, think about what you are buying extra. You must also mention any foods you buy that are associated with a specific illness.
Special Furniture
If you have to replace a lot of furniture due to damage of heavy use as a result of someone’s illness or disability you should mention it on the assessment and mention any special beds or chairs you may have brought.
Disability Related Equipment
Here is your chance to mention things like, stair lift rental and/or insurance/maintenance fees. Running and insurance costs for an electric scooter. If the person watches a lot of television and if you have Sky or Cable type payments, they can be mentioned here. If the internet if someone’s only connection to the outside world this can be considered too, alongside any special software that is required. You should also mention any repairs, purchase costs and service agreements you might have, including Community Alarm Systems.
Special or Frequently replaced Clothing and Footwear
Take care to mention any special clothing that is brought e.g. elastic topped trousers, sweat shirts etc because they don’t have any buttons or zips. Don’t forget to mention extra amounts of clothing that has to be brought because of soiling or extra wear. Special clothing is anything that has been brought because it makes life easier for you or the person you care for.
Extra Bedding
Do you have to buy extra sets of bedding because of incontinence, sickness, dribbling or extra wear and tear? Bedding includes duvets, blankets, sheets, pillows and pillow cases.
Extra Laundry
You can only ask for this to be considered once, this item cannot be included in the fuel or water sections as well as this section. You will need to work out how many extra machine loads you do a week, taking account of the cost of washing powder, conditioner and perhaps the use of a tumble dryer.
Telephone
You can include the cost and rental of a mobile phone as this is an essential item for most carers. You must also consider if your phone bill is higher than most people’s because of calls to doctors, professionals ands perhaps the telephone is your only life line to the outside world.
Extra Transport Costs
Do you have to pay for transport to a day centre or school? Do you have to use taxis for shopping, medical appointments or to visit friends and family? Do you use the car more now you are caring for someone? These are all costs you should think about.
Breakages
This section exists for people that might shake or drop crockery. You would need to think if you are having to replace things around the house etc because of extra wear and tear or breakages.
Chemist and Medical Items
This can include prescription charges if the person you care for pays for them. Take care to record: vitamin supplements, homeopathic medicines, pain killers, extra toilet roll, tissue/wipes, cotton wool, talcum powder, dressings, special soaps, shampoos, creams, disinfectant, incontinence pads and protective gloves.
This is not a complete list and you may have other types of expenses which you can include. You should note, however, that only the extra money you spend because of illness or disability can be allowed for (e.g. you cannot include the whole of your heating or laundry costs but only the extra amounts you have to spend because of a disability). Expenses met by charities or government grants should also not be included. You may be required to show evidence of your expenditure (e.g. your fuel bills and receipts for things you have brought). Another example is if you have to buy a new mattress every year at a cost of £400, the weekly cost is £400 divided by 52 weeks = £7.70.
Last Updated June 2007
