Who pays for your care

Your care journey - Financial assessments explained

If you’ve been assessed as needing social care and support, and you need services that have to be paid for, you will be asked to complete a financial assessment. The assessment is free and our team will arrange it for you.

The financial assessment (or means test) will look at:

• income from employment and state or private pensions
• any savings and investments
• what benefits you get
• any property that you own or part own and who lives with you - where applicable 
• the amount you spend on essential household bills
• any disability related expenses
• money or assets you have given away.

Our team will use this information to work out how much, if anything, you need to pay towards your care needs. The amount you pay is called your financial contribution.

All calculations are carried out in accordance with the Care Act 2014 legislation and statutory guidance and Brent Adult Social Care Charging Policy (TBP).

We will then look at what kind of care and support you need and how much it will cost. This helps us create your personal budget.

Once we know both your personal budget and your maximum ability to pay, we compare them:

• If the maximum amount you can afford to pay is more than your personal budget, you will pay for all your care.
• If it is less, you will pay what you can, and we will top up the rest.
• If it is £0, we will pay for all of your care.

Choosing how to receive your personal budget

If the council agrees to contribute to the cost of your care, you can ask us to, either:

• manage your personal budget and pay providers for any care services you need
• pay the money directly to you or someone you choose – this is known as a direct payment.

Find out more about personal budgets and direct payments.

Factors that can affect how much you pay