Requesting a Financial Assessment
1. Using this Procedure
This procedure should be used to understand when a financial assessment must be completed, how to subsequently make such a request and record the outcome.
Note: This procedure is used by all of the following teams and services:
- Hospital Pathway Team;
- START;
- First Response Teams;
- Review Teams;
- All Age Learning Disability.
2. When a Financial Assessment must be Completed
Under the Care Act a financial assessment must be completed when all of the following criteria apply:
- The person/carer has needs that are eligible under the Care Act;
- The person/carer wishes for the Local Authority to meet some or all of their eligible needs;
- The person/carer is ordinarily resident in the Local Authority area (or present in the area with no settled residence);
- The person/carer will be receiving a Local Authority service that is chargeable under the Care Act; and
- The Local Authority intends to charge for that service.
It is not lawful under the Care Act to charge for any of the following services:
- Intermediate care and reablement services for up to 6 weeks;
- Aids and minor adaptations (up to the value of £1000);
- After-care services/support provided under section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
3. Requesting a Financial Assessment
All financial assessments or reassessments should be requested in line with local processes and requirements.
4. Recording the Outcome of the Financial Assessment
Any contribution that the person/carer is assessed to make must be clearly recorded:
- On the Care and Support Plan (or Support Plan);
- On internal financial contribution recording systems.
The start date for any financial contributions should correspond with the start date for the associated Care and Support services unless a decision has been made otherwise through the financial assessment process.