All councils have to follow government guidelines about the way they charge people for services they receive to help them live independently. This is to make sure people are charged fairly and people with a very low income are able to afford the services they need.
Many people don't have to pay for their Supporting People service because it lasts for less than two years. But if you use a long-term service, such as a sheltered housing scheme, you may have to pay something towards the cost of your Supporting People service.
If you receive Housing Benefit the Supporting People Team will automatically pay the cost of your support charge. However, if you are not eligible for Housing Benefit but are living on a low income, you may be eligible for help from the Fairer Charging Team with the cost of your Supporting People services. The Fairer Charging Team will carry out a financial assessment to find out if you can get some help to pay the costs of your Supporting People charge.
If you ask for a financial assessment, one of our officers will visit you at home. They will be able to work out if you can get any subsidy and check if you are claiming all the benefits you have the rights to receive. They can also help you to complete and send off any necessary forms.
How the financial assessment works
The visiting officer will look at your financial circumstances, including;
- Income
- Any housing costs you pay
- Disability related expenditure
Our visiting officer will need to see proof of the following:
- Capital and savings
- All state benefits and pensions
- Private pension/superannuation
- Income from any other source
There is certain income that we will never include in your assessment:
- Wage
- Child/Working Tax Credit
- Child Benefit
- Disability Living Allowance (mobility component)
Our visiting officer will need to see proof of any housing costs that you pay and will take into account the following:
Disability-related costs
As an elderly or disabled person, you may be paying for things because you need help or can no longer do them for yourself. For example, you may have a cleaner or you may have had to buy or hire equipment - such as a stair lift, to help you to move around your home safely. You may have excess heating bills because you need to have the heating on for longer periods. These are all things that the visiting officer can consider when carrying out a financial assessment.
You should try to think about the types of things that you pay for before our visiting officer comes to see you. This will help us make sure that we do not miss anything when we carry out your assessment.
The assessment outcome
After we have collected all the information we need we can compare your weekly income to a 'cost of living' figure. The government sets this amount every year. We use this figure and the other information you have given us to work out whether or not you can receive any help with the costs of your housing-related support.