What is the assessed contribution?

Residential and nursing home accommodation is not provided free of charge.  If you move to a care establishment you will have to pay a weekly charge. The ‘assessed contribution’ is based on your ability to pay following a financial assessment.  If you have financial resources above the prescribed limit set by the Secretary of State then you will be charged in full and will be treated as a self-funded service user.  

What is a Third Party contribution?

 A Third Party contribution is a payment made to a residential or nursing home on your behalf.  Where we are contributing to the cost of your care we only pay a up to certain amount.  Many care homes charge more than this.  You can choose a more expensive care home if a friend, family member or a charity pays the difference. This is call a Third Party contribution and is paid directly to the home.  However,  you as the service user, are not allowed to pay a Third party contribution.   Neither is your spouse if contributing to the cost of your care as a liable relative under s.42 National Assistance Act 1948.  This rule is laid down in guidance issued by the Government. 

The level of payment made as a third party payment towards the overall charge will increase (generally annually) when the rate charged by a Care Home increases.  There can be no guarantee given that any such increase will be shared evenly between the council and a third party.

Why can’t I make Third Party contributions?  

The guidance issued by the Government states that residents cannot make Third Party contributions out of their own resources and local authorities do not have the power to collect any additional charges from the resident’s own resources to make Third Party payments.  However there are certain exceptions to the rule – see below.  

When can I make Third Party contributions?  

If you have property to sell, you can enter into a deferred payment agreement with the local authority and this will enable you to make Third Party payments from your own resources when the property is sold.  You can also make Third Party payments if you have accessed the 12 weeks property disregard. You can also enter into a deferred payments agreement in relation to your assessed contribution.  For further information you should speak to the social worker.

 What is our responsibility in this arrangement?  

We need to be sure the Third Party is able to pay the contributions for as long as may be required.  However, we have no powers to carry out a financial assessment of a Third Party.  We therefore ask the Third Party to read this leaflet carefully and sign below as a record that they have read and understood the information contained in this leaflet.  

If the care home stops providing satisfactory care or is otherwise in breach of the terms and conditions of our contract with them, we reserve the right to move you to alternative accommodation.

If your needs change significantly you will be re-assessed by a social worker to see whether your current accommodation continues to meet your needs.  

What happens if the Third Party stops paying?

 We will negotiate on your behalf with the Care Home to see whether they will accept the set local authority price for the accommodation, which will be lower than the price you are being charged.  If the Care Home is not prepared to re-negotiate the price then you may need to move to a less expensive room in the same home or to an  alternative home at the local authority price.  Before this happens, the social worker will carry out a full community care assessment, (including a psychological assessment) in order to ascertain the impact on you of the move.  If the community care assessment identifies exceptional circumstances the social worker will refer you for special consideration of additional funding.  If however, the community care assessment identifies no exceptional circumstances then we will explore a number of options to find alternative accommodation at local authority prices.