People who do have to pay for residential care

If you have more than £23,250 in capital (2009-10 figure) you will have to pay the fees charged by the home yourself. As soon as your capital falls below £23,250 you should approach Wirral's Department of Adult Social Services for help.

“Capital” includes any savings, investments or bonds that you have and any property that you own. It does not normally include personal possessions like a car or furniture.

If some or all of your capital is in joint names, its value will normally be divided equally between the owners – so, if you and your partner have joint savings of £30,000, you will be treated as having capital of £15,000.

If you have property other than your former home, the value of that property will count towards the £23,250 limit. You will be expected to sell the property to pay for your stay in a care home. If you cannot sell immediately, Wirral Department of Adult Social Services may pay the fees for you while the property is being sold, but we will expect to be repaid when the property is sold. We will place a legal charge on the property to ensure this happens.

Disposal of capital

If you have disposed of property, or other capital – for instance by giving it away to relatives – Wirral Department of Adult Social Services can treat you as if you still possessed the capital if we think you did so in order to avoid paying for a care home. If you are treated as having more than £23,250, social services will not have to fund your stay in a care home. The Department of Work and Pensions can also treat you as if you still possessed the value of your former capital if they think you disposed of it in order to obtain benefit.

If you disposed of property or other capital in the six months before you went into a care home Wirral Department of Adult Social Services can bill the person to whom the capital went for the cost of your stay.

Income

You may also have to arrange and pay for residential care yourself if your income is too high. If your income is high enough to cover the home’s fees and allow for your personal expenses, you will need to pay the full cost yourself.

For further information and advice contact the Central Advice and Duty Team on (0151) 606 2006.