Paying for your care costs

When we arrange care services for you, you might have to pay towards the cost.

Who needs to pay towards their care?
What if you have extra expenses due to a disability?
Paying for your services
How much care costs
Free advice about paying for care
Things you don't pay for
Booklets and factsheets - understanding your care costs

Who needs to pay towards their care?

Once we've agreed the care you can get from us, we'll talk to you about the money side of things.

Whether you need to pay anything depends on the money you have and any property you own.

You'll pay the full costs of residential care if you have assets, including money or property over £23,250.

For care at home, we do not count the home you live in but you'll pay the full cost of care at home if you have other assets, including money and property over £23,250.

If you have less, we'll work out how much you'll need to pay towards your care costs.

Get an idea about possible care costs

What if you have extra expenses due to a disability?

If you have additional costs because of a long-term illness or a disability, this could reduce what you pay towards your care.

We’ll look at whether the costs are because of the disability or illness, and they are necessary. We also see if the need could be met elsewhere, such as through the NHS, and check that the amount is reasonable.

We’ll talk to you about this. You can also ask us to consider a new cost at any time. Find more information in the Disability Related Expenses factsheets and a claim form.

Paying for your services

If you do need to pay towards your care, we'll talk to you about how you can do that.

Pay your care invoice

You can also pay by phone and by direct debit or standing order.

How much care costs

Home care costs or support at home costs

Home care costs are charged at £23.88 an hour per carer, including weekends and bank holidays.

Care is charged in 15 minute blocks even if each visit does not last exactly 15 minutes. This is based on the average and most appropriate time each visit lasts. The below table provides an example:

If your visit lasts between: We will charge Cost

0 and 20 minutes 15 Minutes £5.97

21 and 35 minutes 30 Minutes £11.94

36 and 50 minutes 45 Minutes £17.91

51 and 60 minutes 60 Minutes £23.88

Day care costs

Day care costs £21.94 for half a day. It's £43.88 for a full day.

Transport to and from a day centre is an additional £4.52 per day (£2.26 per journey).

Flexicare or Supported Living costs

Costs for Flexicare and Supported Living care depend on how much help you need.

We'll agree the level of care you need (low, medium or high) at your social care assessment.

Flexicare:

Low band (up to 3 hours) - £65.34 per week
Medium band (Over 3 hours and up to 10 hours) - £185.13 per week
High band (Over 10 hours) - £326.70 per week

Supported Living schemes:

Low band (up to 3 hours) - £30.68 per week
Medium band (Over 3 hours and up to 10 hours) - £122.70 per week
High band (Over 10 hours) - £286.30 per week

Care home costs

The cost of a care home depends on the specific home and the level of care you need.

Below are standard rates for 2023/24 – that's what we'll pay for new clients entering care. Care homes with higher costs may ask you to pay a little extra to meet the difference.

The following older people weekly rates apply to new placements only:

Long stay at a care home– what we pay per week

Residential Care – £656.98
Residential Care with Dementia and or Mental ill Health – £761.01
Nursing Care (excludes FNC) - £725.07
Nursing Care Block (excludes FNC) - £751.65
Nursing Care with dementia and or Mental ill Health - £818.37

Short stay at a care home - what we pay per week

Residential Care – £690.05
Residential Care with Dementia or Mental ill Health – £794.86
Nursing care (excludes FNC) - £760.24
Nursing care with Dementia or Mental ill Health - £854.45

The council also pays an additional £21.85 per client per week to providers who have received Dementia Accredited Provider Status.

The council will consider paying different rates for shared rooms or for block bookings

*FNC = Funding Nursing Care. Previously this was paid to providers by the council and re-claimed from the NHS. Since 2017/18 the NHS has paid the providers direct.

Contact IACT.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk to learn more.

Free advice about paying for care

You can call our free advice service, HertsHelp:

0300 123 4044

www.hertshelp.net

Mon to Fri, 8am - 6pm

Things you don't pay for

Equipment – you won't need to pay for any care equipment if we decide that you need it.

You won't be charged for care services if:

they're part of an aftercare plan, following a compulsory stay in hospital under section 3 of the Mental Health Act.
you're assessed as eligible for NHS Continuing Care
you're in the final stages of a terminal illness and we decide not to conduct a financial assessment.