Care funding options

Are you or a loved one paying for care? Or are you or a loved one in residential care or considering it as an option?

The issue of funding for care at home or in care homes is not only crucial but complex. The provision of care is becoming increasingly expensive and can create severe financial pressures. Our continuing healthcare legal experts can assess whether this care will have to be self-funded or whether the local authority should pay some or all of the care fees. In some cases, you or your relative may be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) funding.

We suggest seeking our professional advice at the earliest stage, certainly before any discussions on funding care begin. We also urge you to seek advice before signing any documentation.

Funding long term care is complex, so who pays for care home fees?

NHS continuing healthcare funding

Continuing healthcare (CHC) funding is a funding service provided by the NHS. CHC funding is for those who are assessed as having a primary health need. It is not means-tested and this funding covers the cost of care in its entirety.

Local authority funding for care costs

If you or your relative does not qualify for CHC funding, we can advise on the possibility of getting local authority funding for care in your own home or care home. How much the local authority might be able to help with your care costs would depend on your care needs and the assets you have. You will have to have a financial assessment.

Paying for your own care (self-funding)

We can advise whether you or a loved one will have to self-fund your own care or whether you or they qualify for CHC funding or assistance from the local authority. The provision of care is becoming increasingly expensive and can create severe financial pressures. If there is a need to self-fund, there are other forms of financial assistance to help with paying for care homes fees or care in your own home.

How we can help you

We can give advice on the different funding care options:

Continuing healthcare funding:

• Eligibility for CHC funding
• CHC funding application and assessment process
• Appealing CHC decisions
• CHC fast-track assessment
• Retrospective claims for funding for periods that have not previously been assessed (this may be when a loved one has died)

Local authority funding:

• The deferred payment scheme, whereby the council pays for your care and you repay it at a later date
• The issue of property disregards, whereby the council helps with the first 12 weeks of care home fees

By making use of these options we can remove any immediate pressure to dispose of property, if there is a need to dispose of it at all.

Self-funding:

• Making Powers of Attorney
• Will drafting
• The implementation of Trusts