What you may have to pay for your care and support

Most people have to pay towards the cost of their care and support. Many people have to pay for all of their care. We may pay the difference between what you pay and the total cost of your care if:

• we agree the care you need
• you can't afford it

The amount of money that we can pay towards the cost of your care depends on your financial situation. This includes:

• your income
• savings and investments
• property you own
• essential regular costs

You'll also need to pay for some services such as meals on wheels and personal alarm systems.

For more information about the cost of your care, read pdf Information about Bristol City Council Care and Support charges (484 KB) .

Find out how to calculate your contribution towards your care costs.

If your circumstances change

If your circumstances have changed and we're helping you with support to meet your care needs, you may be able to get some extra state benefits from the government. These could be disability benefits such as Personal Independent Payment (PIP) or Attendance Allowance (AA).

You or your carer may also be able to get extra state benefits such as Carer’s Allowance.

Use our benefits calculator to find out what you could be entitled to claim.

It also includes links to benefits information.

Power of Attorney

Your change of circumstances may also mean you might like to consider making a Power of Attorney.

There are several reasons why you might need someone to make decisions for you, or for them to act on your behalf.

It could be temporary: for example, if you're in hospital and you need help with everyday things such as making sure bills are paid.

Or you may need to make more long-term plans if, for example, you have been diagnosed with a long term illness.

A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you (the ‘donor’) appoint one or more people (known as ‘attorneys’) to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf.

This gives you more control over what happens to you if you have an accident or an illness and cannot make your own decisions (for example, you lack mental capacity).

You can arrange a lasting power of attorney on GOV.UK.

There are also other options such as asking a solicitor, but this will be more expensive.

The amount of money you have in savings or assets such as premium bonds or shares affects how much we'll ask you to pay towards the cost of your care. You'll always have to pay a contribution from your income, unless the service you receive is exempt from a care and support charge.

£23,250 Savings
You'll need to pay for all your care and support if you have more than £23,250 in savings and assets.

£14,250 Savings
If you have less than £14,250 savings and assets, we won't include them when we work out what you will have to pay towards your care. We'll only include your regular income.

If you need us to give you financial support and you own your home, you might need to sell it to pay for your own care.

• There are times when you won't need to sell your home, including:
•  you normally live there and have only gone into a care home for a short stay
• your partner or former partner still lives there, unless you're separated or divorced
• one of your family is over 60 or need care themselves, as long as they were living there when you went into the care home
• in some circumstances if your carer gave up their own home to live in your home to care for you

Short stays

Your home shouldn't be affected if you go into a care home for a short stay of up to 12 weeks. We may be able to give you a weekly allowance for some of your domestic expenses such as rent, mortgage payments, council tax, water and sewerage rates, gas, electricity and telephone.

Long stays

We only include the value of your home in your finances:

• 12 weeks after you permanently move into a care home
• or from the date you sell it, if this is within the first 12 weeks

We won't include the value of your home if your savings and assets fall below £14,250 within those 12 weeks.

Deferred payments

You may be able to use the value of your home to help pay care home costs without selling it. Find out more about Deferred payment agreements