Charges

This section will tell you about services provided or arranged by Suffolk County Council that you may have to pay a charge for.

The amount you pay depends on your income and your savings / capital. Before we can arrange services for you, your needs will be assessed by a member of our care staff.

If you can afford the full cost of your chosen service, you can choose not to have an assessment and you do not need to involve the County Council.

Residential and Nursing Home Care

There are different sorts of home providing different sorts of care, both permanent and respite. There is no need for the council to arrange a placement in your chosen home if you can afford the full cost of your care.

If we have arranged your care, there is a limit to what you will have to pay, depending on the level of care provided and type of home.

We will ask you to fill in a financial statement and use this to assess your contribution.

Home Care

If you qualify for home care, the Council can arrange this for you, or you can choose to have Direct Payments instead to arrange your own care. You cannot normally get Direct Payments if you can afford the full cost of your care.
Whatever you choose, we will ask you to fill in a financial statement and use this to work out any contribution you may have to pay.

Day Care 

Day Centres offer a wide range of services. These will normally be subject to a charge of £15 per session. However, how much , if anything, you have to pay towards this cost, is worked out on the information that you give us on your financial assessment form.
Charges may also be made for midday meals and sometimes for other meals/snacks provided.

Meals 

If you cannot safely prepare meals for yourself, the Council will arrange for meals to be supplied to you. These may be:

  • Community Meals (Meals on Wheels) or frozen meals ready to be reheated in your home
  • meals provided at a Day Centre
  • in exceptional circumstances, meals prepared in your own home by a home carer.

The charge for a midday meal is £3.20, except where meals are prepared by a home carer in your home. Then you will provide and/or pay for the ingredients. The charge for the home carer's time will be the same as for any other home care service.

Equipment for Daily Living

The Council would normally expect you to buy low cost items below a total value of £10 yourself. However, if you need more complex equipment we will loan it to you. There is no charge for these loans.

Transport

Transport that is provided to you as part of a Community Care Assessment is subject to a charge of £1.50 a journey. How much, if anything, you have to pay towards this cost is worked out on the information that you give us on your financial assessment form.

 
GuidetoCharges75100 The leaflet A Guide to Charges explains charges in further detail.

Guia para custos de cuidados continuados vigentes em Suffolk

You can order a copy of this leaflet to be delivered to your home.