Financial assessments

Find out about paying for your care

Update: UK Government adult social care charging reform

Wokingham Borough Council is aware of the government changes to adult social care (ASC) that are due to come into effect in October 2025. Wokingham Borough Council does not have details around how this will all work except that the changes and charging will start in October 2025 and will not be backdated.

Visit our expected changes to adult social care charging web page for information on what we know so far.

For further information about the adult social care reforms visit the UK Government website.

Financial assessment

If you qualify for support we will carry out a financial assessment to decide whether or not you have enough money to pay towards your care and support. We use government guidance to work this out.

How much you pay depends on your income and outgoings. It also depends on whether:

You receive care and support and live in your own home
You're in a care home or nursing home

Pay by direct debit

Once the financial assessment has been completed and your contribution has been worked out. You can set up a direct debit by completing and returning the direct debit mandate form (PDF document).

You can find out more below:

If you live in your own home

This includes services like:

A homecare agency who come to your home to give you support
Going to a day centre
Short breaks
Help to stay involved in the community

How we work out the amount you'll need to pay

If your savings and investments are:

More than £23,250 you'll be charged the full cost of your care package plus administration fees
Less than £14,250 they won't affect how much you pay
Between £14,250 and £23,250 we'll add £1 for every £250 over £14,250 to your income. This is known as tariff income

You'll need to complete a financial assessment form which will show your income, savings, capital, and outgoings.

You’ll need to complete a financial assessment form, which we will send to you by email or post. You will need to provide details and evidence of your income, savings and outgoings.

Once we have all this information we'll work out how much you'll be charged each week.

If you live in a care home

If you live in, or need to move into a care home or nursing home, we will include the value of your house in the financial assessment. However, this may not mean you have to sell it.

You may want to consider a deferred payment agreement with us. This is an arrangement whereby you agree to pay your fees at a later date when your home can be sold. This means you should not be forced to sell your home during your lifetime to pay for your care.

Useful information

Read the following documents for helpful information on how we charge for care and related financial information: