Will I have to pay for my care?
Social care services are not usually free. Most people pay some, or all, of their care costs themselves. We will carry out a financial assessment to calculate how much you need to pay.
How much you will need to pay depends on your savings and capital (excluding the value of your home if you are still living in it).
There are different rules around paying for residential care and paying for care in your own home.
Care fees threshold
| Your capital | What you will have to pay |
| If you have over £23,250 | You must pay the full cost of your care |
| If you have between £14,250 and £23,250 | You may have to pay for your care. The council may make a contribution towards the cost. |
| If you have less than £14,250 | This amount will not be included in your financial assessment. The council may make a contribution towards the cost. However, you may still need to make a financial contribution which will be based on your income. |
For more information about what counts as capital, please see Section 7.7 (page 10) of our Charging Policy.
If the County Council is contributing to the cost of your care, you must tell us as soon as possible if the amount of your income or capital increases or decreases significantly during the year.
If you are a self-funder and your capital is likely to reduce to £23,250, you must let us know well in advance. We recommend contacting us when your capital is approximately £28,000 so we can discuss planning ahead.
Contact us about approaching funding threshold - online form
Telephone: : 0345 045 5202
9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
Support you don't pay for
There's some help and support you can get for free that's available to everyone. It's not means-tested and it does not matter what your income is.
You will not be asked to pay towards the following support:
- time-limited care e.g. following an illness or stay in hospital
- equipment available on loan following an assessment
- minor adaptations to your home costing less than £1000
- support received as an unpaid carer
- aftercare received under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983
- if you need high levels of health care, you may be able to get your full care costs paid for by the NHS under the criteria for continuing health care. Your health or social care practitioner will discuss this with you
How we decide what you will pay for your care
- A social care needs assessment is carried out to determine whether you have eligible care needs.
- We will work out how much it will cost to meet your needs. The total amount needed to fund your support is called a personal budget.
- We will carry out a Financial Assessment to understand your financial circumstances, including looking at your income, savings and expenses. Some types of income may not be counted in the Financial Assessment. Such as money from certain disability benefits and pensions, and certain types of capital. This will be explained further at your Financial Assessment.
- The Financial Assessment will determine whether we will make a contribution towards the cost of your care.
We must use public money in a way that is fair for all the people in Cambridgeshire who have adult social care needs. To do this we will make decisions on a case-by-case basis and weigh up the costs of different potential care and support plans to ensure best value is achieved. For more information see our Fair and Affordable Care Policy.
Making financial decisions on someone else's behalf
If you need to make financial decisions on someone else's behalf you may need support and guidance to be able to do this.
Information about mental capacity.
Independent financial and legal advice
We can provide information about services and our assessment and charging processes. However, we cannot give you financial advice. We recommend that you take independent financial advice when making care decisions.
If you will be paying for care, we strongly recommend that you take independent financial and/or legal advice when making care decisions. You must weigh up each option carefully.
You should choose a financial adviser who:
- can give impartial advice
- can help you make an informed decision
- has experience of providing advice on long term care
Fees for financial advice will vary. Costs should be transparent, make sure you understand how much you will be paying.
You may also need an adviser with a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
The Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) helps people find Independent Financial Advisers in their area who specialise in the financial needs of older people. SOLLA members are independently accredited to offer the added reassurance that, as well as holding professional qualifications, they can offer practical guidance to help you make decisions about financing your care needs.
The Citizens Advice Bureau can also advise on local sources of support for financial advice.
Are you worried about paying for your care?
We understand that the cost of care can be expensive. Nobody should consider having to cancel their care because they cannot afford it.
If you are thinking about reducing your care because of money worries, please contact our Financial Assessment Team first. We can check your assessment and make sure you are being charged the right amount.
Tel: 0300 126 3003
We can:
- look at your assessment again if your situation has changed
- make sure we have included the right income, allowances and disability related expenses
- tell you what evidence we may need
- check your charges are fair and correct under the Care Act 2014
We can also signpost you to organisations that can help with benefits or budgeting advice.
Please talk to us before reducing or stopping your care so we can give you the right information and support.
EntitledTo – online benefits calculator
The online benefits calculator will help you find out what benefits you can claim. The calculator is free to use, and the details you provide are anonymous.
