Financial assessment – non-residential care and support

Exemptions from paying an assessed charge

You will not be asked to pay any assessed charges if you receive certain benefits such as Income Support, Pension Credit (Guarantee element), Housing Benefit , means tested Council Tax Support (no single occupancy reduction) and are not in receipt of  Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance Care Component or Personal Independence Care Payment.

You will also not be asked to pay any assessed charges if you are subject to an order under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act

If you are exempt from the assessed charge, you will still have to pay any flat rate charges for meals and transport.

Assessable income

Assessable income is the income that we consider when calculating the charge. Some types of income such as those listed below are disregarded when we calculate the charge:

• Disability Living Allowance Mobility Component
• Personal Independence Payment Mobility Component
• War Pensions
• Wages

If you receive Attendance Allowance or the care component of Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment, the financial assessment only takes into account the higher rate if you have night-time care. If you do not receive night-time care, only the lower rate of Attendance Allowance or the middle rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment will be considered.

Allowances

When we have calculated your assessable income, we then consider a series of allowances that can be made against your income. These include:

• Allowances for daily living expenses - This is an individual allowance based upon the basic Income Support/Pension Credit allowances and premiums.
• Allowances for disability related expenses - You will be asked about any expenses directly relating to a disability or illness you may have. An allowance will be made for any reasonable expense you incur, however you may be asked to provide receipts to verify expenses.
• Housing costs allowance - If you pay rent or have a mortgage, an allowance will be made for any costs not covered by Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, or Income Support/Pension Credit.
• Housing maintenance and buildings insurance costs allowance - If you own your property, a standard allowance, of £16.95 during the financial year 2024/25, will be made in the assessment towards housing maintenance and buildings insurance costs. This allowance may not reflect your actual expenditure.