Your home and your income
Your home
We do not include the value of your home when we work out your care at home costs but do include the value of second homes.
You will not be able to give away property or assets once you have been assessed as needing care from us, as you may need this money to pay care home fees in the future. If you need to go into a care home at a later date the value of your home will then be included in how we work out your care home charges.
It is illegal to give away property or savings to another person to get financial help from us. This is called 'deprivation of capital'.
If we believe you have given away assets to reduce or avoid care home fees we can include the value of the assets when we work out your charges. Assets can include your home, savings or expensive gifts. Small gifts, up to the value of £2,500 per year, will be excluded.
Your income
We assess you and your partner's income.
We include
- all benefits and tax credits, including pension credit
- retirement pension
- salary
- occupational or private pension.
We don’t include
- mobility component of disability living allowance / personal independence payment
- difference between the middle rate and the higher rate of disability living allowance
- difference between the lower and higher rate of personal independence payment
- difference between the lower rate and the higher rate of attendance allowance
- war pensions
- war widow's and war widower's special payments
- £20 from earned income up to £100 and 20% of earned income over £100
- child benefit and child tax credit.
- 50% of a partner's earned income or occupational pensions if your partner is not getting a service.
We can help you with benefits that you may be entitled to. We can offer your carer a benefit check.