Social services Paying for social care and support

Deferred payments for residential care

A deferred payment agreement is a legal arrangement with us. It lets you use the value of your home to help pay care home costs.

If you’re eligible, we will help to pay your care home fees on your behalf. This means you can delay repaying some or all of your care fees until you choose to sell your home, or after your death. It's subject to any contribution required, which is based on your income.

The rules for who is eligible, and how the process works can be complex. It depends on your individual circumstances. When we assess your care costs, if that care includes residential care such as in a nursing home, we will explain what the financial implications will be for you in these circumstances.

You can read a further explanation of the Deferred Payments scheme on the government's Money Advice Service website

You can also read our Deferred Payments policy on this website - it's more in depth, and includes examples. 

As with all payments for social care, it's often a good idea to get some independent financial advice

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