Yumpu Bradford_2021

Paying for care
Self-funding
If you are self funding your care because you
are not eligible for local authority funding,
there are certain forms of financial assistance
you may be entitled to.
Will the local authority pay my fees whilst I
am selling my former home?
If, apart from your property, your other capital
is below £23,250 the local authority will help
as above with the costs during the first twelve
weeks of permanent care. Beyond that period
any financial help will be charged against
the value of your former home and recovered
from the eventual sale proceeds.
Do I have to sell my property?
No, your local authority can lend you the
money to pay for your care charged against
your property value. However, they may limit
how much they will pay. The local authority
will not force you to sell your home.
The value of a house will not be included in
the following situations:
• You are not going into residential care
permanently.
• Your husband/wife lives in the home.
• A relative aged over 60 lives in the
home.
• A child under 16, who you are
responsible for.
• A disabled relative or long term
carer lives there.
If your situation changes you must let the local
authority know when this happens. They may
then include the value of your house, when
they work out how much you have to pay.
Do I have to pay Council Tax on an empty
property?
If you move into a care home and your
property is empty then you should receive
Council Tax exemption until it is sold.
What happens if I move into a care home
independently and run out of money?
Once your capital reduces to £23,250 you
should seek local authority assistance. The
Council will then meet with you to assess your
eligible needs for Care and Support against
the criteria outlined in the Care Act 2014.
Depending on the outcome of this assessment
you may need to continue to pay for care
services.
But, if the home costs more than the local
authority usually pays and home will not
reduce its fees you could be in the difficult
situation of either finding a source of top-up or
seeking less expensive accommodation.
For more information on paying for care,
contact Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Adult Services Access Point on 01274
435400.
Important information
Care home contracts for self-funding residents
If you are self-funding your care and
have a contract with your care provider,
it is important that you seek advice from
independent financial and legal advisors
who will look through your contract and
discuss any points with you so that you
have a clear idea of what is expected
from both parties.
Contracts should detail:
• Cost of care.
• What care is being supplied.
• Timescale for review of contract.
• Your legal rights and obligations.
• How to cancel a contract.
• Length of contract.
Search for care online at www.careandsupport-bradford.co.uk
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