We may be able to help you pay for your care home stay, so you should first apply for care and support from us when considering how to pay for your care home.

Benefits and pensions

You can use existing benefits and pensions to pay for your care - this will be included in your financial assessment with us.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will continue paying you your benefits if you go into residential care. Some benefits that you received while living in your own home may change when you go into residential care. Make sure you let DWP know immediately when you move into residential care.

Your assigned worker can help you work out if you should be receiving any more benefits on top of those you may already have.

Third party top-up: get help with the extra costs of your preferred home

If you have funding from us, but you want to use a specific care home that is more expensive, you can arrange for another person or a charity to pay the difference. This is known as a top-up or third party arrangement.

Anyone who agrees to pay a top-up has to prove that they can afford it, and sign a declaration that they will commit to a regular payment.

The payment is made directly to the care home. The care home will let the third party know how the payments are made and when. 

If the third party is unable to continue to pay, they should contact us immediately. You may have to move to another care home if the current home cannot offer a reduced fee.

Your social worker will help to find an alternative home if you can no longer afford your current one. All family members and carers will be involved in this process.