Fairer charging
A guide to paying for home-based community care services.
This page tells you about payment for care services which help you to live at home.
Why is there a charge for these services?
Providing care services to help adults who need support to remain in their own home is very expensive.
To help as many people as possible we use the government's fairer charging rules to work out how much you pay. Only those who can afford it have to pay for the services they receive.
For more inforamtion about how we assess your needs and the councils eligibilty criteria you can download copies of our leaflets Assessments and care plans for you and your carer and Fair Access to Care
How much will I have to pay?
We have to look at all your income and savings to work out how much you have to pay. This is called a financial assessment. In some cases for people on a low income the services will be provided free of charge.
We cannot charge you more than it actually costs to arrange and provide the service.
Who will work out how much I have to pay?
Once you have been assessed and we know what care you need, a member of the Fairer Charging team will make an appointment to see you, and if you wish your partner, carer or friend, at home.
What will happen during the visit?
We will need to see full details of all your income and capital (such as savings, premium bonds and shares). This includes things like your benefit books, building society books, bank statements and share certificates.
We will also need to see details of your living expenses such as rent, mortgage and council tax and any other costs you may have such as travel expenses if you are disabled.
We will look at all your income and capital and work out how much you have to pay towards the cost of your care. We will also make sure that you and your carer are claiming all the benefits that you are entitled to.We will write and tell you how much you have to pay within 14 days.
How to pay
We will ask you to pay weekly and we will send you a statement every 13 weeks.
We provide you with a plastic swipe card that contains the number for your account.
You simply take the card to the post office and pay the amount due. You can also pay by cheque or cash at our local office or by standing order from your bank.
Do I have to use the care services that the council provides?
If you need day care or home care and you are entitled to help with the cost of this care, you can ask for a direct payment and make your own arrangements so you have more control over the care you need.
More information about direct payments is available in the leaflet Direct Payments - money we can give you to choose and pay for the community care support you need from your social worker or by contacting Careline
What happens if my financial circumstances change?
You can ask the Fairer Charging Team to look again at your charge. We will arrange to visit you, look again at your income and how much you are charged and offer welfare benefits advice. You can ask for this at any time.
We will review what you pay at least once a year or when benefits rates change.
What if I don't agree with how much you ask me to pay?
If you think your charge has not been worked out properly you can ask for it to be looked at again. You should do this within 4 weeks of receiving the letter telling you how much you have to pay. Please write to: The Business Manager (Adults), Liverpool City Council, 80 Wavertree Road, Liverpool L7 1PH.
What happens if I don't pay what is due?
If you do not pay we will send you a reminder letter. If you still do not pay we will refer your case to the council's debt recovery services.
Further information
You can obtain a copy of the Fairer Charging Policy by writing to: The Fairer Charging Team, Customer Focus Centre, 42 Spellow Lane, Walton, Liverpool L4 4DE.