Contact:
  • Supporting People Team
  • Address:
    PO Box 3343,  Bath  BA1 2ZH
  • E-mail:
    supporting_peopleteam@bathnes.gov.uk
  • Telephone:
    01225 477000
  • Fax:
    01225 396268
  • Minicom:
    -
  • Page Updated:
    25/09/2008
  • Author:
    Caroline Clark
A to Z Index

Supporting People

Charging Policy

Introduction

“Supporting People” is the new regime for funding, co-ordinating and regulating housing related support services which came into effect on 1st April 2003.    Previously these support services were funded from a number of revenue streams including support service charges collected as part of the rent and administered by Housing Benefit (THB), Supported Housing Management Grant (SHMG) paid by the Housing Corporation, Probation Accommodation Grant (PAGS), and Home Improvement Agency funding.  From 1st April 2003, all this funding transferred into one pot and has subsequently been administered as Supporting People Grant or Subsidy by individual Local Authorities.

In June 2002 the ODPM issued the “Financial Package” for Supporting People which set out guidance on charging for services and how these should be administered.  A key part of the charging policy is that it should be integrated with the Local Authority’s Community Care Fairer Charging Policy. 

In addition, a number of other fundamental principals are set out in the guidance.  The first requirement is that short term services should be exempt from charging; this is defined in more detail later.  For services classed as long term, the charging policy should be:

  • Fair and understandable
  • Administratively simple
  • Balance risk between Providers and Commissioners
  • Consistent with other charging policies, locally

This paper sets out in detail for service users living in Bath & North East Somerset:

  • Circumstances in which there will be no charge for Supporting People services
  • The process for applying for relief from Supporting People charges
  • Rules for determining the date from which relief may be granted
  • Rules for the recovery of overpayments
  • Details of how appeals may be made

Main Principles – Services for which Bath & North East Somerset Council will charge

  • Service users who have been paying towards their housing related support prior to April 2003 should be immediately no worse off under this policy. 
  • Service users of short term services which aim to bring about independent living within two years will not be charged.
  • Service users in receipt of Housing Benefit will not be charged.
  • Service users of longer term services will be able to apply for a Fairer Charging Financial Assessment (FCFA).  A single financial assessment will cover Supporting People and non-residential Social Services such as Home Care. 
  • Those who have been assessed as liable for a nil charge following a FCFA will not be charged.
  • Those on low incomes who have been assessed as liable to pay a charge following a FCFA may be charged at a lower rate.
  • Those on higher incomes or those who have capital of more than £22,250 will be asked to pay the full cost of the Supporting People service.  This is different to Home Care charging where a standard hourly rate is charged, regardless of the actual cost of the service.
  • B&NES reserves the right to refuse to pay support costs in respect of any service users who refuse to sign up to a support plan in line with the aims of the programme

Short Term or Long Term Services?

To assist in this definition, the ODPM have provided the following definition:

“Services or individual support packages will be designated short-term or long-term according to the intended duration of the specific support.”     

For example:

Does the service aim to bring about independent living within two years  following resolution of a specific need or needs which the supported living arrangement aims to remedy, or following completion of a time-limited programme of support of under two years intended duration?

Does the support aim to increase the capacity for independent living (even if fully independent living may not be likely) through a package of time limited housing related support under these directions, which package has an intended timescale of under two years?

If neither of these points describes the service, is it long term?

For example:

Does the support aim to maintain a limited degree of independent living which is not expected to increase, and may diminish over time, as part of a permanent or open-ended arrangement?

Services in Bath & North East Somerset which are considered to offer support on a short term basis include services relating to:

  • Domestic violence
  • Single homelessness
  • Homeless families
  • Drugs / alcohol     
  • Young vulnerable people           
  • Ex-offenders         
  • Refugees / asylum seekers

Services in Bath & North East Somerset which are considered to offer support on a longer term basis include services relating to:

  • Older people
  • Learning disability (excluding registered care homes as these are covered by social services charging policy)
  • Mental Health
  • HIV / AIDS                
  • Physical disability (excluding registered care homes as these are covered by social services charging policy)                                             

Appendix A shows a list of all services which are chargeable under this policy

Process for Applying for Relief from Supporting People Charges

Any user of a chargeable Supporting People service who is asked to pay towards the cost of their support can apply to the Clients Finance Team at Plymouth House for a financial assessment.  This can be done by completing a short application form, attached as Appendix B.  Service providers are responsible for ensuring that new service users entering their services complete a subsidy application form where appropriate.

A home visit will then be arranged in line with the guidance on Fairer Charging in order that a full FCFA can be completed. Service users will also be asked to authorise enquiries to their landlord/service provider(s), and benefit agencies including Housing Benefit.

The result of the assessment will be advised to the service user, landlord/service provider(s) and Supporting People Team.

It is anticipated that FCFAs should be completed within four weeks of application however this is subject to all the relevant information being supplied promptly.

Treatment of Disability Related Benefits

A checklist of items of disability related expenditure has been drawn up and standard costs identified for each, in consultation with local focus groups and the West of England Coalition of Disabled People (WECODP).  If a user has exceptionally high expenditure, they can ask for discretion to be applied and an individual assessment of their disability related expenditure to be carried out.

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