Paying for non residential care

To ensure we can provide services to as many people as possible we need to charge those who are able to pay.

To find out if we need to charge you we need to do an assessment of your financial circumstances.

If you will be receiving non residential services, please download and complete form SFCNR

If you will be receiving a Direct Payment please download and complete form SFCNR (DP) 

For assistance, please call 01296 387912 or email financeassessment@buckscc.gov.uk.

Once we have assessed your care needs and finances you can choose whether you would like us to arrange services for you or whether you would prefer to arrange them yourself or for a family member to arrange them on your behalf. Find out more about self-directed support. 

We do not charge for:

• Giving information or advice
• Assessing your needs
• Arranging community care services for you
• Equipment and minor adaptations
• After care services provided under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (Section 17 of the HASSASSA Act 1983)
• Any Non Residential Services required by individuals suffering from Creuzfeldt Jacob Disease
• Re-ablement

We charge for:

• Personal care
• Home care
• Assisted shopping
• Domestic care
• Cleaning
• Extended cleaning
• Time for You
• Laundry
• Rehabilitation services
• Supported living
• Day care
• Telecare (Assistive technology)
• Live-in care
• Shared lives
• Transport
• Sleep over
• Waking nights
• Direct Payments/Self directed support
• Respite care

Your contribution

After assessing what care you need, we'll help you fill in a finances form to work out what you can afford to pay. We'll also review your entitlement to welfare benefits. Find out more about welfare benefits. 

We will let you know if you need to contribute towards your care and how we've worked this out. If your care needs change, your financial charges will also be reassessed. If your circumstances or income change, you can request a financial reassessment. If you choose not to complete the form we will charge you the full contribution.

We take into account:

• All income including State Benefits with certain disregards
• Savings and capital

You don't have to pay any charges if your income is below the governments minimum income level plus 25%.

We do not count wages from paid work, but do count money from company pensions.

Expenses

Your charge is based on your weekly income less expenses. 

Expenses include:

• Rent
• Mortgage payments
• Council tax
• A weekly Disability Related Allowance

Savings

We take into account savings but not the value of your main home. We do not take into account any savings and investments below £14,250.

If you have between £14,250 and £23,250 we take £1 a week into account as income received for every £250 you have. This means that if your savings total £15,250 an amount of £4 per week will be counted as income received by you. This will be shown in the Financial Assessment that is used to determine the amount you contribute towards your care costs, eg £1000 ÷ £250 = £4.

If you have savings over £23,250 you will have to pay the full cost of the services you receive.

Service costs

We apply a notional cost to non-residential care services which equates to the average cost of non residential care providers within the county. We also build in a reduction to take into account bank holidays and the odd occasion when a service is not provided in full or part, ie when a carer stays for less time than usual.

Health funding

If a care package is fully funded by Health/a Primary Care Trust (PCT) under the NHS Continuing Care Policy (opens in a new window) you will not have to contribute towards the cost of your care package.

If the care package is partly funded by Health/PCT, we will financially assess you based on our proportion of the funding.