House Clearance Help & Advice: Getting help with the cost towards a nursing home

Back to Help & Advice index

If and when the time comes that you need to move into a care home to be looked after, then choosing the right one is essential. However when it comes to nursing and care homes they can be expensive but sometimes you can get help towards the cost of paying for your care.

Although the majority of people will have to pay a huge part of the cost of the care themselves or their loved ones will be asked to pay, you might also be entitled to claim some of the cost from the government towards the costs. Your local council will be able to work out much you will have to pay towards the cost and how much they will pay to help you; the amount is based on several factors.

Before you choose and move into a care home the local council will do a financial assessment to see how much they could pay towards the cost of the home. They will take into account how much you have coming in and going out and the savings you have. Your private or state pension will be taken into account as will any interest that you make on your savings in the bank.

Your savings, investment and any property that you own may also be taken into account during the assessment. It is essential that if you are entitled to any benefits, that you claim them before you have the assessment by your council, the reason for this being that the amount that you are entitled to will be worked out on the assumption that you have claimed and are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to receiving.

When taking into account how much you will get towards the cost of paying for your care home it will assessed that you have at least £18.80 a week to spend on as you choose.
If you any savings and that amount is over £21,000 then you will be considered as being able to pay the full amount of your care yourself. Also if you own your own property, then it will normally be counted as having capitol when you have lived in the nursing home for 12 weeks or more. However if there are close relatives living in you home then it cannot be counted as capitol.

Before you have a financial assessment you will first have a needs assessment, this is done to determine the type of care for your needs. Different homes give different types of care so this will be taken into account first, it will then be determined how much the council will be able to put towards the cost of your care. After this either the council will find a suitable nursing home for you or you can choose to find one yourself that is within your financial limitations.

If the care home that you choose to go to yourself is above that as assessed by your local council, then you may go there but you will have to find the difference between the allowance the council gives you and the amount of the total cost of the nursing home yourself.

Call us today on FREEPHONE 0800 0352653 or contact us via e-mail.