Arranging and paying for your own care - Self-funders
We provide services in a way that promotes independence, ensuring that people who need care are able to live at home for as long as possible.
Some people arrange their own social care services for different reasons.
What is a self-funder?
If you are arranging and paying the full costs of your care, you are known as a ‘self-funder’. This means that either:
- you have chosen not to approach adult social care for help, or
- you have been assessed but you are not currently eligible for social care services, or
- you have approached adult social care and, although your needs show that you are eligible for services, your savings are above £23,250*.
- If you move to a care home and you owned your own home, the value of your property may be included
See the Paying for care page for more information on how your contribution is worked out.
Where to go for advice
If you are a self-funder the following resources provide relevant advice:
- The Money Advice Service (external link)
- Society of Later Life Advisors (external link)
- Age UK (external link)
- Haricare directory of adult services to search for local care service providers
- Services for older people
- Care Quality Commission (external link) - for inspection reports on care services and councils
Financial help
If you would like to find out if you’re eligible for care and support services from the council you will need to complete an assessment. This will include a financial assessment to find what financial contribution you will make to these services.
If you don’t want to complete the assessment, or the assessment shows that you are paying the full cost of the services, there may be other sources of help available to you:
Welfare benefits
We can provide advice about welfare benefits to make sure you’re receiving all the benefits you are entitled to. Visit the benefits and advice section for more details.
Voluntary and independent organisations
Where you are not eligible for services, we will do our best to direct you to alternative sources of help, advice and support. This may be in other sectors of the community, for example, through voluntary or independent organisations.
Local activities
There are free and low-cost alternatives to paying for your own care services, many of which are available locally. If you're looking for activities during the day, you may like to think about joining in with some of the organised activities in your area. We also have a range of ideas on activities and services for older people in Haringey.
Advocacy
If you’re arranging your own services, you may need someone to help you express your opinion, or ask questions, or access information. You may therefore find it useful to have a person supporting you, sometimes known as an advocate.
An advocate will:
- listen to what you want, and not impose their views
- make sure that you are given balanced information so that the decision remains yours
- help you by writing letters, representing you, or talking things through.
There are many organisations offering advocacy support.
- See details of Advocacy services in Haringey
- Find more organisations providing Advocacy services on Haricare (external link)
Changing Circumstances
Most people's needs change over time. If you would like to be reassessed because your needs have changed, contact Haringey Adult Services.
If your savings fall below £23,250, for instance because you have been paying for care, you can be assessed by Social Services and will not pay the full cost. If you have intentionally transferred your assets to avoid paying costs we may treat you as still having the assets.
Don’t wait for the situation to get worse. It is never good to 'struggle on' when personal circumstances change.