Getting a financial assessment

Financial assessments look at your money to see how much you can afford to pay towards your care each week. If this amount if not enough, you may qualify for help to pay your care fees.

How to get a financial assessment

1. You must have a needs assessment that shows you should live in a care home. This is usually done by a social worker.
2. The social worker will refer you for a financial assessment. Your care will start when you need it, even if you have not had a financial assessment yet.
3. We will write to you asking for all the information we need and tell you if you need to pay the care home a minimum payment while you wait.
4. You must send us all the information we need within three weeks. Without this information, we cannot finish your financial assessment.

When we do financial assessments we must follow rules set out by the government in the Care Act 2014. See how we look at your money.

Changes to your financial circumstances

If something changes you must report it straightaway. Changes in your financial circumstances usually mean changes in how much help you get to pay for your care. If you don’t tell us about any changes you could be overpaid and you will have to pay it back.

What you'll need

We may ask for:

• recent benefit award letters from the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) or recent bank statements showing that you get benefit payments
• letters from your pension or annuity providers, including any pension drawdown arrangements you have made
• a complete set of the last 12 months of bank or building society statements or pass books, for every account you hold (though we may later ask for older statements too)
• details of any shares, bonds, ISAs and national savings products
• details of any property or land you own
• details of any other income and investments

Someone to help

You can get someone to help with your financial assessment or have them manage it for you.

Financial advice

We recommend you get financial advice to manage your money and pay for your care. We are not allowed to give financial advice ourselves, but there are independent organisations you can go to. Some are free and some cost money.

• Society of Later Life Advisors (SOLLA)
• MoneyHelper
• Citizens Advice

Appeal a decision

If you disagree with our decision on your financial assessment, you can ask for a reconsideration. Find out how to appeal.