If you need help to pay for a care home and you own a home, you may not have to sell your property. Your property may be disregarded from your financial assessment, or you may apply for a deferred payment scheme.

Deferred payments are for homeowners who:

• have less than £23,250, not including the value of their home
• are moving permanently into residential care
• do not want to sell their home, or cannot afford to pay the full cost of their care until their property has been sold

To apply for this scheme, you must:

• have been assessed by our team and told that you need residential care
• be accepted for funding
• be the legal owner of the property
• allow us to put a first charge (mortgage) on your property
• provide details of the insurance of your property
• pay a weekly contribution based on an assessment of your income and assets

Your property may be disregarded for the first 12 weeks of your time in a care home. After the first 12 weeks, your deferred payment arrangement will start. 

The money we give you to cover your care must be repaid:

• if your property is sold
• when you end the agreement
• within 90 days of your death

How to apply

If you want to apply for a deferred payment, discuss it with your care manager or social worker, who will give you further details about the scheme.

We strongly recommend you get some independent financial advice before entering this scheme.