Contents
1. Background
1.1 This guidance relates to accommodation types specified in the Care Act 2014:
- Residential or Nursing Care.
- Shared Lives schemes.
- Supported Living accommodation.
1.2 This includes the provision of aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act where a person has been detained in hospital for treatment.
1.3 An additional payment (top up) is when extra money is needed to fund the difference between the value of your social care personal budget and the cost of your chosen accommodation. The payment may be required where your chosen accommodation costs more than the amount in your personal budget.
2. Making arrangements for an additional top-up payment
2.1 When developing a support plan with you, we will provide you with a social care personal budget. This will be sufficient to meet your eligible care and support needs.
2.2 If you are receiving a support service in the community or in your own home and you wish your needs to be met at a cost above that agreed in your personal budget, you will need to enter into a private agreement with a service provider for any additional costs. Legislation prevents us from accepting a top up from an individual for care and support being delivered in the community or in a person’s own home.
2.3 When support is to be met in specified accommodation as listed above, you have the right to choose accommodation that is suitable and available at the cost the authority has agreed in your personal budget.
2.4 If we can arrange support in the specified accommodation at the cost the authority has agreed, but you have chosen a service provider which costs more, we can arrange your chosen accommodation if an additional payment (top up) can be made.
2.5 The top up can be paid by someone else (such as a third party) from their own income and/or savings; or you can make the top up if:
- your property is being disregarded in the first 12 weeks of staying in a care home
- you have entered into a Deferred Payment Agreement with us
Policy details
| Version | 2.0 |
| Strategic Owner | Keri Storey, Deputy Director of Integrated Adult Social Care (Operations) Solveig Wright, Deputy Director of Integrated Adult Social Care (Commissioning) |
| Business Owner | Samantha Clapp, Head of Client Financial Services |
| Author | James Martin, Policy Manager |
| Date of Approval and Commencement | April 2015 |
| Last review date | October 2024 |
| Last reviewer | Rebecca Billing, Senior Policy and Executive Support Officer |
| Next review date | October 2026 |