Basic facts about paying for care

Adult social care services are not free. You must pay for:

• care and support services provided to help you at home and in the community
• care home costs

These charges apply from the date your services start.

Download the care costs fact sheet.

You may be entitled to help with your care costs if your savings are under £23,250

How much help you get depends on:

• your financial situation
• the actual cost of the services you need (these are identified by a care and support assessment using national eligibility criteria)

We offer a financial assessment (a means test) to work out how much you could afford to pay each week towards this care.

Your financial assessment looks at savings, income and expenses

We count:

• your savings, investments & capital – but we don’t count the value of your home while you or your partner are still living there as your  main and only home
• your weekly income from pensions and benefits (including disability benefits) – but not including earnings from paid work or the mobility part of disability benefits

We make allowances for certain expenses.

We use this information to work out your Assessed Maximum Weekly Charge – this is the most you could be asked to pay for your eligible care services.

What you pay depends on the weekly cost of your care

If the weekly cost of your care services is less than your Assessed Maximum Weekly Charge you will need to pay the full cost of your care.

If the weekly cost of your care services is more than your Assessed Maximum Weekly Charge we may be able to help you with your care costs.

If you have savings and capital over the Upper Capital Limit (£23,250)

You won’t be eligible for financial support from the council. However:

• if you need to sell your home to pay care home fees you may be eligible for our Deferred Payment Scheme (a bit like a secured loan) so you can delay the sale
• you can ask us to arrange and manage your community care and support arrangements for you – but there is an additional charge for this service
• you may be eligible for tax-free disability benefits to help with your care costs (Attendance Allowance or Personal Independence Payment – see Gov.uk – disability benefits)

We recommend you seek independent financial advice – see our page on finding financial advice on paying for care. 

• Society of Later Life Advisors (SOLLA) 
  SOLLA is a not-for-profit organisation that helps people and families find trusted financial advisers with specialist knowledge of later life matters (for older people).  
• Money Helper
  

  Money Helper is a government-backed organisation providing impartial information and advice on a wide range of money matters.

  
  

If you refuse or fail to complete a financial assessment

You won’t get any help with your care costs.

However, you can change your mind and ask for a financial assessment at any time.

If someone looks after your money for you (a financial representative)

Please tell your social worker.

We will ask you the name, address and phone number of your financial representative as they will need to be involved in your financial assessment.

Financial representatives FAQ document

Local independent organisations you can contact for information and advice on paying for care

• Age UK Berkshire  – 0118 9594242   Email: info@ageukberkshire.org.uk
• Reading Mencap – 0118 9662518   Email: office@readingmencap.org.uk
• Age UK Reading  – 0118 9502480  Email: info@ageukreading.org.uk
• Communicare – 0118 9263941  Email: office@communicare.org.uk