These questions all relate to persons under age 65 living a residential care home paid for all or in part by your council’s social care budget

1. How many people in your Local Authority under 65 live in a residential care home?
There were 85 people under 65 living in residential care in May 2021.

2. How much disposable income/PEA do care home residents have available each week for their needs?
£24.90 as set by the government (or £30.65pw if they are eligible for the additional £5.75 savings credit).

3. Calculation of income
a) How does your residential charging policy calculate income?
Charges will be decided on both the units of service received and the customer’s ability to pay, after a full financial assessment has been carried out. The minimum charge is £2.50 a week. Customers will not be asked to pay any charge if their contribution is calculated as less than this amount.

For the purposes of Care Act 2014 the treatment of capital, assets and income is defined in Annex B “Treatment of Capital” (Care Act 2014), which is used by WBC in the calculation of income, with the exception of any variations stated in this document or Care Act 2014 guidance.

A re-assessment will be carried out each year to re-calculate charges. Additional reassessments can also be requested by a customer or their representative, at any point during the year, due to changes in their financial circumstances.

If a customer stops receiving services temporarily their latest financial assessment charge outcome will continue to be used once restarted, providing it is less than 12 months since the last financial assessment has been carried out. Breaks in care spanning more than 12 months will require a full reassessment in line with the relevant policy and charges may then be made at a new rate.

Where it can be shown that the customer has already had a charging assessment and therefore is aware of the charging process their applicable contribution is effective from the start or restart date of services.

b) What is included in your income calculation?
Tariff income, Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment care, Attendance Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Universal Credit, Occupational Pension, State Pension, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, Pension Credit Savings Credit, Carers Allowance, Incapacity benefit, income support, Industrial injuries, Job Seekers Allowance, Severe Disability Allowance.

c) What is excluded from your income?
Mobility element of DLA/PIP, earnings, child benefits, war pensions.

d) Which (if any) parts of the income calculation are discretionary?
None
e) Which parts of the income calculation are mandatory?
All.

f) Do you use the same calculation model for care home residents above the age of 65 versus those below that age?
No.

g) If the model differs, what are those differences?
Not applicable.

4. Discretionary Increases
a) Does the Local Authority exercise its discretion to allow individuals under 65 years in residential care homes more than this minimum amount?
No.

b) If yes, what is the weekly amount available to them and (as in 3 above) how is it calculated?
Not applicable.

5. Is there any difference in the amount people are left with each week if the Local Authority is acting as an Appointee?
No.