Self Funders - A Guide to support for adults

You may be called a self-funder if you are meeting the costs of your support without any help from the Council. This can include support to live independently at home or in a care home.

Manchester City Council can only make a contribution to the cost of your support if 

• we have assessed you as being eligible for support from us, under the Fair Access to Care criteria 
• you have had a full financial assessment from us and we have told you that you do not have to pay for the full cost of your care.

Why am I called a self-funder?

If you have more than £23,000 in savings (2009/10), or your income covers the cost of your care, then we will not be able to make a contribution to the cost of your support. You will have to pay for this yourself. This is called self-funding.

Some people choose to be self-funders because they do not want to be financially assessed, or they choose to make their own arrangements for support. 

What help can I get as a self-funder?

Even if you don't think the Council will be able to make a financial contribution to the costs of your support, and you think you will be funding all of your support from your own resources, it makes sense to have a free assessment. You may find you are entitled to help with the costs after all.

If we can't help with the costs, as a self-funder you are still entitled to the same free detailed help and advice in working out your needs and finding the right service as everyone else.

If you can't get financial help from us, there are many other ways we can help you. 

• We can provide you with a free assessment of your support needs, which will help you to decide what kind of support will best meet your needs. It doesn't have to be in a care home; there are many other ways of meeting your needs that can help you to continue to live independently at home. You can arrange an assessment through the Adults and Children's Social Care Contact Service 
• We can give you free help and advice about organising your support. 
• If you ask us to assess your need for support, we will review your needs on an annual basis or at your request if your needs change. 
• Having an assessment of need and an annual review means we will have your details on record. This means we can provide support when your savings drop below the savings threshold of £23,000. Many people are not aware of this and worry what they will do when their savings run out. 
• You are entitled to free help from some of our preventative services, such as Reablement, to help you get back up to speed, or the Short-term Team if you need help to stop things getting worse. Manchester Advice can also help with money or legal problems. 
• We will provide you with advice and guidance about services and opportunities that are available for you. You can also find information about services and opportunities yourself using our online directory at http://mymanchesterservices.manchester.gov.uk/
• We can help you to deal with any comments or concerns you may have with your care provider. We can give you the details of voluntary organisations that can provide independent advice. 
• If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse, you can report it. You can do this in a number of ways, but the most effective way is either to speak to the Contact Service for Social Care or to the police. 
• We can arrange for you to have a welfare benefits check from the Financial Assessment team or an advice agency to make sure you are receiving your full benefit and tax credit entitlement. Even if you are a self-funder, you may be eligible to receive some benefits. 
• We also operate a deferred payment scheme. If you need residential support and you own your own home, you may be able to get an interest-free loan to help you with the payment of your care home fees. In return for a legal charge on your property, Manchester City Council will pay your care home costs, which you will have to repay when the house is sold. To find out about the scheme, you can contact our Financial Assessment team on the numbers below. However, you will not qualify for this if you don't have an assessment of need.

What if I have a complaint about the quality of care?

If your support is provided by Manchester City Council, you can use our complaints form. You can find this in our leaflet called Tell us what you think.

If an independent provider provides your support, first make your complaint to them. If the matter is not resolved, contact the Care Quality Commission. 

You can download the information in these pages as a leaflet for printing, if you need to.