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Other Benefits & Allowances
There are a number of other allowances and benefits that are available to help those requiring care. Some of these are briefly described below. If you would like to discuss whether or not you may be eligible or would like assistance in applying for these, please contact us and we will be happy to help.
Attendance Allowance
This is a non means-tested, tax-free benefit available to people aged 65 and over who need help with basic functions such as bathing or eating, whether in their own home or in residential care. There are currently 2 rates of benefit – the “higher” rate for round the clock care, and the “lower” rate for part-time assistance or those who might just need care either during the day or during the night.
The “higher rate” is currently £89.60 per week and the “lower rate” is currently £60 per week (for the current financial year 2021-2022 applicable in England)
NHS Registered Nursing Care Contribution
This contribution is paid directly to the Nursing Home providing your care towards the costs of nursing care only and is funded by the NHS. People who qualify and receive the benefit will still need to pay for their accommodation, board and personal care if self-funding, or receive help with these fees from their local authority.
It is important to discuss with the Home how this Contribution is accounted for in their fees. The level of Registered Nursing Care Contribution in England is currently a flat rate of £187.60 per week for 2021-2022.
Ideally, the assessment for NHS-funded nursing care should be carried out automatically when someone is identified as having to move into a Nursing Home or in the early stages following the move into the Home. Eligibility depends on whether the person is assessed as having needs that require a nursing care environment.
Personal Expenses Allowance
People who are eligible to have their care fees paid for by the State are allowed to keep a small allowance from their income for their own personal use. This is called the “Personal Expense Allowance” and is currently £24.90 per week (for the financial year 2021/2022 in England).
NHS Continuing Care
There is a very fine line between what is considered to be free healthcare provided by the NHS and means-tested social care, which is the responsibility of Local Authorities. For help in deciding which treatment and other services available to the person needing care and who is responsible for providing them, the concept of “Primary Health Need”.
Where an individual’s primary need is that of “health”, the NHS is regarded as the provider responsible for all of the person’s need in any environment.
If an individual, or a person on their behalf, were to apply to the NHS for Continuing Healthcare, a Multi-Disciplinary Team of Health Practitioners would carry out an assessment. Their professional judgment and experience coupled with the involvement of the person concerned, their family and/or carer(s), should enable them to make a decision about whether the individual is eligible for Continuing Healthcare. It is based on the person’s needs and should disregard the costs of providing the relevant care and whether or not these are within any budgetary restraints applied by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
If the individual were to qualify, the NHS would manage the contract and pay the care home direct. The person needing care does not have the right to choose either the actual home into which they are placed or its location. It should be noted however that the assessments and decision-making processes should be person-centered and people involved should be enabled to participate in informed decisions about their future care. This would include the choice of Nursing Homes that are able to meet their assessed needs within the criteria set by the Clinical Commissioning Group, if such a choice is available.
NHS Continuing Care is a very detailed and involved process and the criteria in order to qualify are very specific.
We will be happy to provide further information and go through this in more detail. Please contact us if so.
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