Help with care costs

If you or your partner needs care at home, your Local Authority should carry out an assessment of your needs to decide whether they can help with the cost. Please note, to qualify for support you need to have less than £23,250 of savings.

In cases where the Local Authority is already helping with the cost of care, we may be able to offer additional assistance if there is a shortfall. To do this we will require a copy of a person's care plan. If necessary, we'll follow up with an occupational therapist assessment.

We can also provide a social inclusion grant which can fund a place at a day centre if it would be of benefit. If a carer needs some respite, we may be able to cover the cost of temporary live-in carers.

Moving into a care home

Going into a care home offers many benefits and can provide peace of mind, security and companionship.

The process leading to the decision to move into a care home will normally start with a care needs assessment carried out by the Local Authority Adult Social Care Team. However, if hospitalised, the hospital social workers should carry out the care needs assessment prior to discharge.

Following the care needs assessment, it is then followed by a means-tested financial assessment to assess whether you should pay part or all of the care fees and how much the Local Authority will contribute towards the fees.

Social services should provide you with details of homes at their usual funding rate. They should not ask for a top-up if a home is not available at their usual rate.

However, if a private care home is chosen in order to be close to family and friends, the care fees charged by the home may be outside the usual funding rate available. If a more expensive home is chosen, social services will expect families to commit to pay the difference between the fees and the usual funding rate. This is when the RAF Benevolent Fund may be able to assist financially.

Our normal level of grant for top-up fees is between £40 and £50 per week, subject to meeting our criteria and subsequent approval of an application.

There are a number of organisations who have care homes with a military connection. This includes The Royal British Legionas well as Royal Star and Garter Homes.

Please see our checklist which is helpful to use when you are viewing a care home. 

Advice and Advocacy Service

We have an advocacy service if you wish to seek assistance with any of the following:

• Care in the home (domiciliary care)
• Getting a care assessment
• Continuing HealthCare (CHC)
• Top-up fees
• Disabled Facility Grants
• Problems with other care related problems