Retirement: Care Funding and Assessment

A health and social care assessment is carried out to determine if you need assistance and support during your retirement years.

14:47 30 March 2013

Councils are mandated by law to assess the needs of retirees who are disabled or who appear to be in need of a community care service that are provided by the council.

 

These include home meal delivery, home care, and equipment. Emotional and social needs may also be covered and addressed. Assessors will usually visit your home and a relative or friend of yours can be present. This is good to know if you’re planning your retirement.

 

Also, after the assessment, the council will compare your needs against the local eligibility criteria. If you have assessed needs, the council will arrange or provide for the services to meet these needs. 

 

Financial assessment

 

Once the council has agreed to provide necessary services to meet your assessed needs, it will determine if you have to pay for the services. It will consider your assets and income. 

 

If your assets (this includes the value of your home), is higher than the upper capital limit (for 2012 to 13 this is £23,250 in England and Wales and £24,750 in Scotland), you will have to pay the full cost of care. 

 

On the other hand, if your asset is below the upper capital limit, you will receive some contribution towards your care cost from local authority but still, you will need to pay a substantial amount.