Top-up payments
What are top-up payments?
We will carry out a Care Act Assessment that will identify how your needs are met.
If you choose a home that costs more than what the council has agreed to pay a third party top-up payment is required.
Top-up payments are extra payments that need to be paid to a care provider.
The top-up payment pays the difference between the care home fees identified by the council and the cost of the care home of your choice.
For example some care homes may charge extra for a room with a private bathroom.
The top-up payment needs to be paid in addition to the financially assessed contribution. This financially assessed contribution needs to be paid from your personal income.
There are government rules about who can pay a top-up and in most circumstances you are not allowed to pay it yourself if you are the person receiving care.
A top-up payment should be made by
- a friend
- a relative
- in some cases a charity
The person making the top-up payment is called the third party.
They are not the individual or the council.
The third party top-up payment must be made from the third party's funds.
The individual in care cannot make a top-up
payment. Their income is used to pay the financially assessed contribution.
We will state which homes are able to meet the personal outcomes following a Care Act Assessment and will offer what is available at the time.
A top-up payment may be considered if, for example, you or a family member requests that care be provided in a more expensive home than the one on offer from us, or that a more expensive room be provided in the home that has been offered by us.
We need to know that anyone offering to make a top-up payment is able to do so.
The third party should seek independent legal and financial advice to help them decide if they have sufficient resources to sustain the payments for the duration of the stay in the accommodation.
A third party can decide to pay the top-up payment to the care home directly or they can ask the council to facilitate.
The third-party enters into a contract with the council or the care home, agreeing to cover the top-up amount.
If your third party decides to make a top-up payment through the council, they will be given
- two copies of the third party top-up agreement.
- terms and conditions of the agreement
- a copy of the third-party factsheet
We suggest you and your third party seek independent legal and financial advice before deciding whether to sign the agreement.
If the third party decides to enter into this arrangement they will be asked to sign both copies of the agreement. Completed agreements must be returned to the case worker.
If the third party is unable to keep paying for any reason we reserve the right to move you to accommodation that does not require a top-up
payment.