Community care charges

We operate two charging formats:

• flat rate charge
• contribution based on a financial assessment

Charges are set each year by us as part of the budget setting process.

The following services are subject to a flat rate charge:

• smart supports - £4.31 per week
• building based day opportunity - £3.31 per session and cost of any meals provided
• blue badge administration - £20 (only payable if badge issued)

In addition to the above, we pay a subsidy of £1.02 per meal to the meals at home service. The cost of a two course meal is £2.48 or £2.68 where equipment has been supplied. You pay this directly to the supplier.

All other service charges/contributions are based on an individual financial assessment.

Some people will pay nothing and no contribution will be more than 80% of the actual cost of providing the service. With effect from 1 April 2019, personal care services is free for all age groups, however you may be charged for any non-personal care services.

A financial assessment based on information provided by you will be undertaken to calculate how much, if anything, you need to pay towards the cost of your social care.

Your assessable income will be your total annual income, including all benefits apart from:

• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (Mobility Component)
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) (Mobility Component)
• War Widows/Widowers Supplementary Pension
• War Disablement Pension and payments made by Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
• Child Benefit
• Child Tax Credit and
• up to £25 of any earned income

The above benefits are all completely disregarded.

If you receive the higher rate of:

• Attendance Allowance (AA)
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (Care Component) or
• Enhanced rate of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

this will only be included if you receive social work services during the night as well as during the day.

Otherwise, only the lower rate of your AA, middle rate of DLA (Care Component) or standard rate of PIP will be counted in the financial assessment.

Do I have to provide information about my finances?

You may choose not to provide us with your financial details, however this will mean that we are unable to undertake a financial assessment and will charge you 80% of the cost of the services which you receive, up to the maximum charge.

If you choose not to provide the required information regarding your finances this will also mean that we are unable to undertake a benefits check for you, in which case, you may continue to miss out on benefits to which you may be entitled.

We will need to see proof of financial details and charges will be applied until this information is confirmed.

What if my circumstances change?

Liability to pay charges will be reassessed each year and you will be asked about any changes to your income or savings at that time.

If at any time during the year your circumstances change, it is your responsibility to advise us of this by contacting your care manager or other appropriate member of staff.

If you fail to do so, you may be charged at the wrong rate.

What information is required?

You will need to provide us with:

• basic financial details including:
  • any earned income
  • benefits
  • pensions and details where appropriate
  • who deals with your finances if you don’t do so yourself
• any savings/capital including details and amounts
• housing costs including details and amounts which you pay in:
  • rent
  • mortgage
  • council tax
  • Chargeable income thresholds

Your chargeable income is calculated by deducting any eligible housing costs which you have, for example mortgage interest, rent or Council Tax, from your total available income.

Each year we set a level of weekly/annual income as detailed below, which a person cannot be asked to pay charges. This is based on national guidance. These are known as minimum income thresholds and are updated each financial year in line with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit up-rates.

The thresholds for 2022/23 are:

• individuals over pension age whose chargeable income is less than £252 per week/£13,140 per annum
• individuals under pension age whose chargeable income is less than £156 per week/£8,134 per annum or
• couples, one of whom is over pension age, and chargeable income is less than £348 per week/£18,096 per annum
• couples under pension age whose chargeable income is less than £216 per week/£11,232 per annum

If the assessable income is less than the income threshold figure, there will be no charge for services other than the flat rate charges. We will also disregard 40% of income above the threshold.

East Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership will then undertake a 'better off' calculation, by calculating a contribution based on the indicative cost of the service being provided and comparing this with the income based charge.

The contribution will be the lowest between the percentage of the disposable income, 80% of the budget or the maximum yearly charge (£5,595.66).

The capital value of property which you own and live in is completely disregarded.

Any capital/savings of up to £10,000 is disregarded for service users over pension age and £6,000 is disregarded for service users under pension age.

If you have more than the disregarded amount and are over pension age, £1 will be added to your assessed income for each band of £500 which you have in excess of £10,000.

If you are under pension age, £1 will be added to your assessed income for each band of £250 in excess of £6,000.

As part of your financial assessment, you will be offered a benefits check in order to identify any additional benefits to which you may be entitled.

You will also be offered assistance to make any additional benefit claims.