Paying for Adult Social Care

Paying for services

Depending on your financial circumstances, you may have to pay for some or all of your care. We'll carry out a financial assessment and let you know the amount you'll be charged. 

Special circumstances

In some cases, we won't do a financial assessment because we have a duty to provide services. For example, people receiving treatment under section 117 of the Mental Health Act can access free aftercare when leaving hospital to help them stay well.

Provided by the NHS

Certain items, such as wheelchairs and walking aids, are provided free by the NHS. Contact your GP for a referral to your local provider.

For more details on costs, visit our paying for care section.

Understanding different types of payments

Personal budget

The amount of money agreed by the council to meet your care or support needs following a needs assessment under the Care Act. Learn more on our personal budgets explained page.

How you pay for residential care

This includes care in care homes or supported living. See our charging for residential care page for details and frequently asked questions.

How you pay for care at home

Visit our charging for non-residential services page for details and frequently asked questions.

Direct payments

You can choose to receive your personal budget directly and arrange your own care. Find out more, including eligibility on our direct payments page.  

Deferred payments

Use the value of your home to pay for residential care. Read about eligibility and how it works on our deferred payments explained page.

Further support

Benefits

To help you understand what financial support you may be eligible for, visit our benefits you may be entitled to page.

Better Care Wokingham 

A web platform that helps people through the financial assessments for care. It uses animations and simple language to guide you through self-assessments and answer common questions. Visit the Better Care Wokingham website.