How the financial assessment works
Your social worker will provide you with a paying for care leaflet and financial assessment form to complete. You need to fill in this form and return it to the Financial Assessment Team so that your financial assessment can be completed.
Completing the financial assessment form
You should complete the financial assessment form with information about your finances. If you have a financial representative, they can help complete the form for you.
We recommend you seek independent financial advice when filling out this form.
If you choose not to disclose your financial information, you are agreeing to pay the full cost of your care. We will confirm this in writing. If you do not pay, we will take action to recover any outstanding charges owed to us.
We will use the information given on the form to work out your care charge and send you a letter explaining the result.
If you need help to complete the financial assessment form, we can arrange a telephone appointment with a member of the Financial Assessment Team.
After your telephone appointment, we will send you an outcome letter explaining the result.
Light touch assessment
We may already hold the relevant information about you. In these cases, we will work out your care charge using existing records and send you an outcome letter explaining the result. This letter may be the first communication you receive from us.
Things we will ask about
Financial assessments can seem confusing and worrying. To help, we have put together this list of things we may ask about during your assessment.
About you
We will need your contact information.
If you have one, we will also need details of your power of attorney, deputy or financial representative. You may need the following documents:
- power of attorney documentation
- appointee forms
- court of protection order
Savings and capital
We need to know about all bank accounts, savings, bonds and investments you have.
Documents you might need include:
- bank account statements
- savings account statements
- bond certificates
- life assurance bond certificates showing income received
- share certificates
- national savings certificates
- investment or trust documents
- property title and mortgage documents
Income
We need to know about income you receive, including:
- benefits you receive
- all pensions
- rental income from property or land
Documents you might need include:
- latest benefit entitlement or award letters from the Department for Work and Pensions
- verification of private pensions
- documents relating to deferred pensions or annuities
- proof of salary
- evidence of rental income
- bank statements showing other income
If you are waiting to hear about a benefit claim, please tell us as soon as you receive confirmation.
Housing costs
We need to know about your share of housing expenses, including:
- Council Tax
- rent or mortgage
- service charges or utility bills
Documents you might need include:
- housing benefit or Council Tax award letters
- documents showing rent, mortgage or service charge payments
- breakdown of charges included in rent or service charges
- last four utility bills showing heating and power costs
- water, sewerage, buildings and contents insurance bills
Proof of direct debit payments will be accepted.
Costs linked to your disability
If you receive care at home, you may have additional costs because of your disability or illness. These are known as disability-related expenditures.
We look at whether the costs are necessary, linked to your condition and reasonable. We also check whether support could be provided in another way, such as through the NHS.
Documents you might need include:
- proof of purchase of specialist equipment
- additional laundry costs
- incontinence aids
- garden maintenance costs
- transport costs
- additional heating costs related to disability
Read statutory guidance on disability-related expenditure on GOV.UK.
Property
We need to know about any property or land you own.
Documents you might need include:
- latest mortgage statement
- documents relating to additional property
- equity release documents
- proof of joint ownership
- proof of properties owned in the last two years
Understanding the outcome
After your assessment, we will send you a letter explaining the result. If we complete a light touch assessment, this letter may be the first communication you receive from the Financial Assessment Team.
The letter will include:
- details of any weekly charge
- a full breakdown of costs
- how invoices will be sent
- how you can make payments
Please read your outcome letter carefully and check that all information is correct. Contact us if you have any questions or concerns.