COSTS AND FUNDING

When care and support in the home is needed, it is often difficult to know where to start, or how the service will be funded. You may choose to pay for care services yourself privately, in which case please contact us and we can arrange an initial meeting to discuss your needs. One of our advisors will arrange to meet you to discuss your care and support needs, and will be able to offer advice and guidance by spending time with you to discuss the type and level of support that best suits you and make an assessment.

Once the initial assessment has been completed we will create a personal support plan based on how you would like us to help, ensuring that you receive the services you need, when you want them. At this point we will be able to understand more about your requirements and establish what will work best for you and those around you.

Charges vary for the individual, and are usually based upon an hourly rate, but we can accommodate a wide variety of requirements, from the occasional hour or 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We are here to provide support based on your specific needs.

Alternatively you may be entitled to funding support subject to your financial circumstances. For more details contact your local social services who can advise you further.

If you have already been assessed by your local council as needing social services, you are likely to be allocated a personal budget. This can be paid in the form of Direct Payments Individual Service Funds (ISFs) or Individual Budgets. You may come across many other phrases for these but fundamentally they all mean the same important thing: That you have more choice and control over the care and support you receive.

There are benefits available which are not means tested, so you may be entitled to receive these in addition. This is a benefit which is not qualified by how much money, assets, or pension you have but by your age and personal ability to perform necessary daily living tasks please click on the link to find out more from the links below:

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) – this can be claimed if you are under 65, have a physical or mental disability, or both, and need support.

Attendance Allowance (AA) – You may be eligible for this if you are 65 and over, and need help with personal care.
We have vast experience in working with individual budgets, direct payments and individual service funds, and can help you understand this if you are struggling, whether services are funded by the NHS, or wholly or partly by your local council.

Should you not be eligible for public funding, or would simply prefer to fund your care privately, you will need to source your care independently. Faced with so many different options and conflicting information, this can become both a time-consuming and overwhelming task.

If you are looking for support with financial planning, we would recommend that you contact an impartial Financial Advisor specialising in Care Fees. They can discuss options such as:

• Equity Release
• Funding Care fees
• Estate preservation
• Wealth Preservation

A Personal Budget is granted to those who have been assessed by the local council as having social care needs, depending on their financial circumstances. Personal budgets have been available in England since 2008. Depending on your circumstances, or choice, you may receive your Personal Budget either as Direct Payments, or as an Individual Service Fund (ISF).

An individual budget is similar to a personal budget, except it is made up of other sources like the Independent Living Fund (ILF), which was granted to those with severe disabilities who are living within their community and staying at home, rather than in residential care. Click here for more information about Independent Living Funds.

Direct Payments are a Government initiative allowing individuals who have been assessed and require social services to purchase their own care and support and will be allocated a personal budget.

The Government is looking to increase the number of people who receive direct payments, allowing more people access to the benefits that they bring. If you are considered eligible for support with funding, your local council are duty bound to consider direct payments as an option for you, instead of providing services to meet your needs.

By choosing to take your Personal Budget as Direct Payments, this enables you to have choice and control over how and when your money is spent but as a general rule, it must be spent on services and/or equipment that meet your needs for care and support based on your assessment.
The direct payment system allows you to:

• Have a greater input into what care you need
• Decide who you want to provide that care
• Arrange services and staff at times more convenient to your lifestyle
• Decide whether you want to employ an agency or your own staff

You can read through ‘An easy guide to Direct Payments’, which is a guide to getting Direct Payments from your council.

As you are effectively purchasing your own services, if you so wish, you can add your own funds to your direct payment to purchase services above the value of your direct payment. This allows you not only to buy your care from the person or organisation you prefer, but also to buy services in addition to those you care assessment states, should you wish to.

An individual service fund (ISF), are for those who can’t, or do not wish to manage the Personal Budget you have been allocated with to pay for care and support services. Your chosen service provider will then hold your personal budget on your behalf, and you are still in control of how this is spent.

Your Personal Support Plan will be developed to decide how you want to spend your ISF and this will depend on the outcomes that you want to achieve and the way in which your chosen service provider will support you to achieve those.

Many people presume that receiving a bespoke care at home service is beyond their financial means; however, as more information about financing care becomes available in the public domain, care at home is becoming an increasingly popular option.

Funding for care can be a confusing subject area, however, by carrying out a little research and utilising resources available to you, your options become clearer and easier to understand. We are always available to talk you through this.

Funded by Central Government, the Independent Living Fund supports people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes, rather than in residential care.
Payments are made to people with disabilities so they can afford the employment costs, or associated employment costs of a personal assistant or care agency to provide the support they need to remain living at home.
There are many things which the fund cannot be used to pay for. To understand what cannot be paid for with the fund, you can read more on the Government website.

The website payingforcare.org is impartial and consumer friendly, providing information on all aspects of care funding including local authority assessments, care entitlements, costs of care and arranging care for someone else. Visitors have instant access to professional, specialist care fees advice through our live chat service.

You are also welcome to call us and one of our advisors will be happy to assist on 01902 302017 or write to us at homecare@securehealthcaresolutions.co.uk.