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Health and Social Care costs

Get help with health and care costs from the NHS

Although treatment on the NHS is free at the point of delivery, there may still be some costs (for example, your journey to hospital). However, much or all of the cost can be reclaimed, which should ease any added stress. The NHS website explains how to claim money to which you are entitled.

Personal health budget

The NHS will also pay for care and support for some people. A personal health budget allows you to manage your healthcare and wellbeing such as treatments, equipment and personal care, in a way that suits you. The NHS provide a budget for people eligible for NHS continuing healthcare or after-care under section 117 of the Mental Health Act. The NHS may also provide a budget to pay for ongoing care or a one off purchase, such as support to leave hospital or mental health recovery. There is also a personal wheelchair budget available.

picture of a video about personal health budgetsNHS Sheffield and Disability Sheffield have created a video to explain how a personal health budget can help you, and top tips on using your budget.

Personal Health Budgets.

NHS Sheffield has a continuing healthcare team to support access to personal health budgets. Find out more.

Funded nursing care

The NHS will also provide money for someone who is living in a care home in Sheffield, to pay for care from a registered nurse. This is a payment made to the home you are living in, at a national rate that is reviewed each year. Sometimes this is arranged at the time the person moves into the home (including in an emergency), but it may also be arranged later by the home if nursing care is then required. Find out more.

Money advice for carers

Find out about support for carers and how to manage the money of someone you're caring for.

Money advice if you are ill or disabled

The Money Helper website (provided by the Money and Pensions Service) offers advice about disability benefits (including Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment), disability grants and funding.

Paying for care

Learn about different ways to fund your care (including NHS funding, Local Authority funding and self-funding options), managing direct payments, and other ways to pay for your care.

Benefits when you have care needs

Paying for long term care is a fact of life for many people, whether you choose to stay in your own home or not. Fortunately, you can claim benefits to help you manage.

We strongly recommend you get independent financial advice when planning for your long-term care and setting up the care and support you need.

All Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs) have to register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA),  who regulate the financial services industry in the UK.

Advisors must explain to you how much their advice will cost and should set out charges in a clear way, so that you understand how much you are paying and what for. There may be extra charges for looking after your investments or providing advice on a regular basis. If you're getting investment advice, ask your adviser if the costs include a review of your investments from time to time or if you must pay for that service separately.

Get a list of IFAs and more about the FCA on their website Financial Conduct Authority.

Many charities and national organisations give advice on long-term planning for your care and support needs.

The Money Helper website has detailed advice on:

And they provide detailed guides on options for self-funding care and support and getting financial advice.

Find out more. Website Money Helper. Call 0800 138 7777. Type talk 18001 0800 915 4622. Email enquiries@moneyadviceservice.org.uk.

Specialist advice on care and support funding is also provided by many national charities including:

If you are entering into a legal agreement with the Council or someone else (such as for a deferred payment agreement) you should also consider taking legal advice (for example from your solicitor or from Sheffield Law Society, call: 0114 272 3655).

Most people can’t afford to pay the high cost of long-term care out of their day-to-day income. As there are many options for funding long-term care and they can often be complicated to understand, it’s important to plan ahead.  People often have to make quick and difficult decisions about their own or a loved one’s care needs – knowing what your options are in advance helps with this.

Who will pay for my care?

The general rule if you are eligible for Council support is that you either pay for the total cost of your care and support or you contribute what your financial assessment shows you can afford and the Council will pay the rest. If you have a disability or complex medical problem, you might qualify for free NHS continuing healthcare (CHC), although most people with long-term care needs don’t qualify because the assessment is quite strict. 

Even if you qualify for Council or NHS funding, you may want to enhance your care by paying more. For example, the Council set a price each year that they feel is reasonable to pay for care in a home. If you want to choose a care home that costs more than this, then you will have to pay any additional cost.

What sort of options are there?

The Money Helper Service advises that options to fund your long term care may include:

  • An immediate need care fee payment plan – an annuity contract (a type of insurance policy that provides a regular income in exchange for an upfront lump sum investment)
  • Downsizing your home to fund your long-term care
  • A deferred payments agreement - these allow people who own their own home to use the value of their property to ‘defer’ or delay paying the full cost of residential care until a later date
  • Equity Release - a way of benefiting from the value of your home and accessing some of the money tied up in it, without having to move out.

Who can give you information and advice?

You can find more information about different financial advice and support services below.

Choosing how to pay for your long-term care is a big decision. The Money Helper Service advises that although you’re not obliged to get professional advice when choosing how to finance your long term care, in most cases it’s crucial to do so. You should speak to a professional Regulated Financial Adviser to discuss which option is best for you.

See related section above on Financial Advisers for more information.
You can get free and impartial money matters advice (including helping you plan how you will fund your care in later life) from a range of local and national organisations. This should not be instead of talking to a Financial Advisor, but can be very useful in addition to it.

You can also visit the Paying for Care website for information to help you make informed choices about arranging and funding long term care.

The Money Helper Service provides free, impartial and independent financial information and advice. They can help with topics such as:

  • budgeting and saving (including doing a quick Financial Healthcheck)
  • credit and borrowing
  • mortgages
  • insurance
  • pensions and retirement planning
  • benefit reviews to see what you're entitled to
  • care and disability (including choosing the right care services, support for carers, paying for the cost of care, and getting independent financial advice)

Visit the Money Helper Service or call them on 0800 011 3797 to talk to an adviser over the telephone. Or contact your local Money Advice Service.

Contact the Money and Pensions Service for pensions advice. Visit their website Money and Pensions Service or call them on 0800 138 7777.

If you're struggling to manage your money a money management service may be able to help you. There are several money management services in Sheffield including one run by the council.

Visit the Paying for Care website for information to help you make informed choices about arranging and funding long-term care.

Independent Age provides information and advice for older people, their families and carers, on issues which include benefits and entitlements and paying for care. You can call them on 0800 319 6789.

Sheffield Council Housing tenants can get help with money and debt problems from the Money Advice Team. Call them on 0114 293 0000.

Independent Age provides information and advice for older people. their families and their carers, on issues which include benefits and entitlements and paying for care. You can call them on 0800 319 6789.

Contact the Money and Pensions Service for pensions advice. Visit their website Pensions Advisory Service or call them on 0800 138 7777.
Visit the Paying for Care website for information to help you make informed choices about arranging and funding long-term care.

Rethink Mental Illness provides support and information for people living with mental health conditions. Visit their website www.rethink.org (which has a section on mental health and money issues).

MIND also provide information on money and mental health. 

Mencap is a national charity for people with a learning disability. Visit their website www.mencap.org.uk (which includes information about money issues for people with a learning disability and their families) or call them on 0808 808 1111.

Dosh is an organisation which provides easy read factsheets on managing your money if you have a learning disability.

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