Charges for care at home

The cost will vary from person to person and will depend on the result of the financial assessment and the charge for the care provided.

*One Day Care session is defined as:

• A service received before 1pm on any day, for any length of time
• A service received between 1pm and 6pm on any day, for any length of time
• A service received after 6pm on any day, for any length of time

*The charge for meals/snacks at a Day Centre will be paid by all attendees and is in addition for the charge for attendance at the Day Centre (2 separate invoices will be issued).

Please note that the charging week runs from Monday to Sunday, therefore one night's Respite/Short-term care in a care home during a charging week would be charged at your assessed charge shown on the Statement of Financial Assessment - which will be provided to you, and this may be the current maximum charge, i.e. you could pay £100 for a one night's stay at a care home.  The charging week runs from a Monday to Sunday.

A financial assessment is a calculation of what you can afford to pay towards your care.

If it is your preferred option not to give us details of your income and other assets or you refuse to provide information the Council may charge you the full cost of the care provided, up to a maximum of £100 per week (for 2023/24).

If you choose to declare your finances then you will be asked to complete and sign a financial assessment form and you will need to provide details of your income, capital and expenses. You will also need to provide proof of the information detailed on the form e.g. bank statements, benefit notification letters; this will help us work out how much you can afford to pay towards your care.

We can help you complete the form if needed; this would normally involve a visit to your home or any other convenient place to complete the form with you and/or your representative.

We will inform you of the result of the financial assessment in writing.

If you are assessed to pay a charge you will be charged from the first day the service commenced.

We will review your financial assessment annually, unless there is a change in your circumstances, in which case we will then review the financial assessment sooner.

We will only share information in accordance with the permissions given by you and in accordance with our data protection policy.

As part of the financial assessment we will try to make sure that you are receiving all the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits you are entitled to and with your permission we will contact the DWP or another appropriate organisation and they can help you claim all of the DWP benefits you are entitled to.

Income:

Can include:

• State benefits:
• Occupational/private pensions including a pension after a late spouse
• Annuity payments
• Trust income
• Income from investment bonds
• Rental income and most other incomes

This is not an exhaustive list.  We will only include income to which you have an entitlement.

Capital:

This can include:

• Property
• Land
• Savings in bank
• Building society or any other savings accounts, including current accounts and Post Office Card accounts
• Cash
• Premium bonds
• Stocks and shares
• ISAs
• Most other forms of capital. 

This is not an exhaustive list.

If you hold jointly owned capital with another person, you and the other joint owner(s) are normally treated as having equal interests in that capital.

Some capital is disregarded; this includes the first £24,000 (for 2023/24) of your assets and this amount is set by the Welsh Government each year.  This does not mean that you can retain income until your capital reaches this threshold.

Expenses:

This would include essential expenses such as rent, mortgage or council tax payments and some forms of care purchased privately where these expenses can be evidenced.

The value of your main residence is not included as part of the financial assessment, however the value of any land you own or any additional properties etc. that you own will be included as part of your capital.

If you are living somewhere else on a temporary basis (e.g. with a family member whilst you recover from an illness) then the value of your usual main residence would not be included as part of the financial assessment. If you are living somewhere else on a permanent basis then the value of your former main residence would be included as part of the financial assessment from the date that you first moved from the property.

What if someone jointly owns my additional property/former main residence?

We would examine documentation to confirm that the property is jointly owned and we would normally only take into account the value of your share of the property.

What if my additional property/former main residence has been transferred to someone else?

We would examine the documentation confirming this and we will ask you to provide information relating to the terms of the transfer. We will use this information to base our decision on whether the property is included or disregarded from the financial assessment.

Will I have to sell my additional property/former main residence?

You can choose whether to sell your property. Proceeds from a sale of property would be included in the financial assessment even if it was from the sale of your main residence.

As part of your financial assessment all of your income is considered and where applicable certain types of income are disregarded from the financial assessment.

The Welsh Government sets an amount of weekly income which has to be disregarded/excluded from the calculation.  This is currently the equivalent of basic Income Support/Guaranteed Credit, plus 35% and a further 10% for disability related expenditure.  The amount varies according to age and circumstances and for 2023/24 the amount would be:

• Pensioner (65 and over) = £291.53 per week
• Disabled Adult (25-64) = £209.09 per week
• Disabled Adult (18-24) = £183.57 per week
• Disabled Adult (25-64), in receipt of Employment Support Allowance = £216.13 per week
• Disabled Adult (18-24), in receipt of Employment Support Allowance = £190.61 per week
• Adult (25-64), in receipt of Universal Credit (Standard Allowance only) = £123.39 per week
• Adult (18-24), in receipt of Universal Credit (Standard Allowance only) = £97.75 per week
• Disabled Adult (25-64), in receipt of Universal Credit (Standard Allowance and Limited Capability for Work Allowance) = £172.35 per week
• Disabled Adult (18-24), in receipt of Universal Credit (Standard Allowance and Limited Capability for Work Allowance) = £146.71 per week
• Disabled Adult (25-64), in receipt of Universal Credit (Standard Allowance, Limited Capability for Work Allowance and Work-Related Activity Allowance) = £253.91 per week
• Disabled Adult (18-24), in receipt of Universal Credit (Standard Allowance, Limited Capability for Work Allowance and Work-Related Activity Allowance) = £228.27 per week

These figures can increase where additional different benefits are received.

Within the financial assessment there are other forms of benefit and income which are disregarded from the financial assessment. Examples are:

• all mobility components of Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment
• the first £25 of War Widows/Widowers pensions
• all of the War Widows supplementary pension
• all of the War Disablement pension
• all earnings
• all of the Armed Forces Independence payment
• all of the Guaranteed Income Payments made under the Armed Forces compensation scheme
• up to £5.75 of savings credit (part of pension credit)  This is the amount for 2023/24 and this amount is set by the Welsh Government.
• 25% of the day care element of DLA Care Component and Attendance Allowance, PIP Daily Living and all of the night care components of such benefits

This is not an exhaustive list.

As part of your financial assessment all of your capital is considered and where applicable certain types of capital are disregarded from the financial assessment.

Each year the Welsh Government sets an amount which must be disregarded from the calculation. The amount for 2023/24 is £24,000. The value of capital in excess of this figure is included in the financial assessment. If your capital is below this figure then it does not mean that you can retain income until your capital reaches this threshold.

In addition, capital received in the form of ex-gratia payments made to former Far Eastern POWs, payments made under the Vaccine Damage Scheme and some payments made by charities, trusts etc. will also be excluded from the financial assessment. This is not an exhaustive list. Please contact the Assessment Team for further advice.

If you gave away savings, money or other assets or sold a property at less than its value before receiving care, or whilst receiving care then we may assess you as though you still have the full value of the asset. The person who benefits may become liable for any unpaid charges.

We will ask you about the timing, reason, recipient and the monetary value of the transfer and use this information to base our decision on whether the asset is included or disregarded from the financial assessment.

The Council can allow additional expenses for the costs of personal care purchased from a registered care provider, or the cost of an emergency personal alarm system e.g. Dewis Sir Gâr where proof of this expenditure is provided.  Other forms of expenses maybe considered but will be dependent on circumstances.

You should inform us if you get an increase or decrease in your benefits, you get any new benefits, if you benefit from an inheritance or any other transfer, or if your savings/capital has gone above or falls below the maximum capital threshold, currently £24,000 for 2023/24 or if you incur new or additional expenses as a result of a change in your care needs.

Direct Payments - For non - Managed direct payment accounts only

Your assessed weekly charge will be deducted from the payment that the council makes to you.  You will be expected to pay your contribution in to your Direct Payments account to ensure that you have enough money to pay your Personal Assistant and for services.

By Invoice - For non residential services (other than for non managed Direct Payments accounts)

The invoice would be based on your assessed weekly charge.  The council invoices for non-residential services on a four weekly basis and in arrears, however if you only have a Telecare service then the invoices issued on a quarterly basis and in arrears.  The invoice should be paid within 21 days.  If you have any outstanding invoices then the Council will also send you a statement of outstanding invoices approximately a week after payment is due.

We accept payment by:

Phone

You can call us on 01267 228686 / 228974 between 9 - 5 Monday to Friday. We also have an automated 24/7 payment system available on 01267 679900.

Online

You can pay your invoice online, you will need your invoice to hand to complete this process. 

We accept the following types of credit / debit cards - Visa, Mastercard, Switch, Solo, Visa Delta.

Direct Debit

To set up a direct debit please call 01267 228730.

If you choose to pay by Direct Debit you will still have an invoice and the payment will be collected from your bank account approximately 21 days after the date of the invoice.

By post or in person

You can send payment by post or pay it in person at one of our Hwb customer service centres.

Please make cheques payable to Carmarthenshire County Council.

You can also pay in person at the self-service kiosk in Llandeilo Library, Crescent Road, Llandeilo, SA19 6HW. Please note that only cash or credit/dept card will be accepted at the self service kiosks. 

Bank transfer/BACS Payment

To arrange for a payment from your bank account you will need to quote your invoice number and send they payment to:

Barclays Bank Plc,

Account name: Carmarthenshire county council income account 

Sort code: 20-19-04

Account number: 13762092

Pay  online

If the invoice(s) remains unpaid the Local Authority will pursue these through its debt recovery arrangements.

The authority does charge interest in certain circumstances. When someone has passed away the authority will charge interest on the whole of the outstanding debt from 91 days after the service user passes away. There are other circumstances when the department is able to charge interest on debts, e.g. where the debtor deliberately refuses to pay for care even though they have the financial means. Each case is considered on an individual basis.

If you think that the Financial Assessment or invoice is incorrect, you should contact us and we will review our calculation and consider any information that is provided at that time.

If you are still unhappy with the outcome then the staff can explain the steps you should follow next.

If you would like to discuss your financial assessment/assessed charge you can contact us in the following ways:

By Email: SCHfairerchargingassess@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

By Phone: 01267 228683

By Writing to:

Financial Assessment Team
3 Spilman Street
Carmarthen
SA31 1LE

If you would like to discuss your invoices you can contact us in the following ways:

By Email: collectsnonrescare@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

By Phone: 01267 228811

By Writing to:

Collections – Non-Residential Team
3 Spilman Street
Carmarthen
SA31 1LE