Adult Social Care Version 1.1 December 2013

Transcription

1 Contribution Policy For Non-Residential Care Services And Personal Budgets Community Care Services July 2012 Community Care Services July 2012 Adult Social Care Version 1.1 December 2013 Ver 0.1

2 Document Control Document title Document author Who is accountable for this policy? Current version 1.1 Contribution Policy for Non-Residential Care Services and Personal Budgets Jayne Walters Andy Sharp Effective from date 17 October 2013 Approval body Approval date Review frequency Cabinet Next review due 1 April 2016 Revision History 17 October 2012 (version 1.0) Date Version Summary of Changes (factual updates, v1.1: ASCLT October 2013) 3 years with an annual review of numeric information. First Edition Changes to Income AFIP Change to DRE Section(s) Changed Changes to rates App A & B Equalities Impact Assessment Assessment date updated Feb 2012 Assessment location Freedom of Information Act Exemption FOI Exempt? Equality and Diversity pages, Corporate website NO A C Validity This version is valid from 6 th April 2014 Timeline This document is current. Version 1.2 Apr

3 Table of Contents0 Introduction... 1 Legislation... 1 Guidance... 1 Diversity And Equality... 1 Key Principles... 2 Financial Assessments... 2 Free Services... 2 Services that are not chargeable... 3 Services charged at set rates and not subject to this policy... 3 Circumstances where charging is discretionary... 3 The Financial Assessment Process... 4 Notification of Contribution... 4 Commencement of Contributions... 4 Charging Weeks... 5 Cancellation of Services... 5 Request for Reassessment Procedure... 5 A: Assessable Income/Capital... 6 Types of income that cannot be taken into account... 6 Evidence... 6 Deprivation of Income... 7 Treatment of Capital and Tariff Income... 7 What Is Capital?... 7 Deprivation of Capital... 8 B: Allowances and Disregards... 9 C: Disability Related Expenditure D: Disposable Income / Maximum Contribution Appendix A - Maximum Charges Domiciliary Care/Home Care/Support Charges Extra Care 24 hours support and personal care service Mobile Nights Version 1.2 Apr

4 Transport to and from day centres Day Care Opportunities Shared Lives Scheme Personal Budgets All non residential services provided by other local authorities Appendix B - Disability Related Expenditure a) Community Care Alarms b) Power costs c) Reasonable cost of basic garden maintenance, if unable to do so due to individual s disability d) Reasonable costs of basic cleaning, if the Service User is unable to do it due to disability f) Insurance, Maintenance and repair of disability related equipment g) Transport costs Appendix C - How to Comment, Compliment or Complain about a Financial Assessment I think the calculations are wrong and I am being asked to contribute too much towards my care. What should I do? I am still not satisfied with the amount I am being asked to contribute and wish to appeal against this. What do I do? I am not satisfied with the conduct of the Financial Assessment Officer who visited me. What should I do? I wish to compliment or comment on the way the financial assessment process was carried out and the way the outcome of the financial assessment was notified to me How to contact us: Version 1.2 Apr

5 Introduction Bournemouth Borough Council s Adult Social Care Contribution Policy has been designed to comply with the Department of Health s Fairer Charging and Fairer Contribution Guidance. Its aim is to provide a consistent and fair framework for Service Users who receive non residential care services to be financially assessed. Legislation Section 17 of the Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983 (HASSASSA) gives the Council the power to charge adults for non-residential services they receive. Guidance The Department of Health has issued guidance on how the Council should charge for services in the following documents: Fairer Charging Policies for Home Care and other non-residential Social Services dated September 2003 updated October 2012 Fairer Charging Contributions Guidance 2010 Calculating an Individual s Contribution to their Personal Budget calculating-an-individuals-contribution-to-their-personal-budget Guidance on direct payments for community care, services for carers and children's services: England rereform/personalisation/directpayments/dh_ This document sets out Bournemouth Borough Council s Adult Social Care Contribution Policy. This policy is effective from 1 st April 2013 Diversity and Equality The Council is committed to ensuring that no one is treated in any way less favourably on the grounds of protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are: Age Disability Gender reassignment Marriage and civil partnership Race Religion or belief Sex and Sexual orientation Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 1

6 Key Principles The principles underpinning this policy are: To ensure a fair charging system where all contributions towards the cost of care are based on people s ability to pay To ensure that the charge is based on the actual cost of the service to the Council and therefore not to subsidise any particular service To ensure that appropriate welfare benefit advice and assistance to claim any additional benefits, pensions or allowances is given as part of a holistic approach to financial assessments To provide clear information on the way in which a contribution is calculated To ensure that care needs are assessed separately from a person s ability to pay. To generate an income to meet the cost of delivering the service and to re-invest in services To be fair and equitable to all Financial Assessments All Service Users in receipt of a chargeable service whether by way of a Council Managed Personal Budget or Direct Payments will be required to have a financial assessment, in order to assess their ability to contribute towards their care. This payment is known as a contribution. A list of services covered by this policy is shown at Appendix A. A single financial assessment will cover all the services described in this policy. The relevant Care Practitioner will ask a Visiting Officer to arrange to undertake a benefits check and complete a financial assessment. If a Service User chooses not to disclose details of their financial circumstances they will be required to pay the full cost of the services provided. All financial assessments are reviewed annually by the Financial Assessment and Benefits Team (FAB). A Service User may, however, ask for a review at any time. Most services for most users are always chargeable. Below are some exceptions. Free Services Bournemouth Borough Council provides the following services free of charge and therefore not subject to a financial assessment. Services provided under Reablement, for a period of up to 6 weeks. This period may be extended at the discretion of the Care Practitioner in conjunction with their Team Manager Intermediate care All assessments of community care needs All information and advice Social Work Support Aids that are provided to assist daily living Small household adaptations Supported Employment help people become job ready and to support them in the early stages of their employment usually provided for up to 50 hours. Services for Carers Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 2

7 Services that are not chargeable The Department of Health has highlighted circumstances when a person cannot be charged. These are: People who have Creuzfelt Jacob Disease Service Users who have services as a direct result of their mental health needs and are subject to aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act. The services must be recorded within the care plan in order to qualify as a service for which there is no charge Services that are the responsibility of the NHS (e.g. 100% Continuing Health Care funding) Services charged at set rates and not subject to this policy There are certain services that are charged at set rates rather than be subject to this policy. Meals on Wheels Meals and Beverages provided at a Day Centre These services are not subject to financial assessment as everyone has to pay for their food and drink from the income that is disregarded within the financial assessment. Circumstances where charging is discretionary There are circumstances when a person may or may not be charged. These cases will be considered on an individual basis. This consideration arises for People on the Adults at Risk register People subject to Deprivation of Liberties People who are in receipt of continuing care and are terminally ill and require intensive care from palliative health and social services staff for either rehabilitation during or following treatment, or who wish to remain in their homes to die, will not be charged for this service. The duration of this service is normally 6 weeks and a review would take place at this time to determine whether there is a need for this service to be extended. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 3

8 The Financial Assessment Process The financial assessment process involves collecting financial information which will allow the Council to make an assessment of a person s ability to contribute towards the cost of their care. In the case of a couple more if only one member of the couple is receiving a service then a single person s assessment will be completed. However if the other member of the couple is willing to disclose their financial affairs, a couple assessment can be completed, in addition to the single person s assessment. In this circumstance the Service User will be charged the lower of the two contributions calculated. A Service User s ability to pay is based on the following elements: Assessable income/capital see section A Allowances and Disregards see section B Disability Related Expenditure - see section C Disposable income/maximum Contribution see section D To calculate how much a Service User is required to contribute, the following calculation needs to be made. less less equals Assessable Income Allowances and Disregards Disability Related Expenditure Disposal Income / Maximum Contribution Notification of Contribution Written confirmation of the contribution required towards the cost of any services or Personal Budget, however taken is, will be sent within 7 days of all the required information being provided. Commencement of Contributions The start date of the contribution will be the date the service or Personal Budget starts and will be shown on the statement an individual signs agreeing to the financial assessment. If the council becomes aware that an individual is in receipt of income or capital not previously declared within their financial assessment, then the council reserves the right to backdate any amended contribution to the date the individual started receiving this additional income or had the capital or the date of commencement of services whichever is the later. In the case of annual financial reviews if an individual is not available to see the Visiting Officer within a period of 14 days then they will be charged the full amount until an appointment is made and kept. In these cases the assessed charge will apply from the date of the appointment that resulted in an effective visit. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 4

9 Charging Weeks A charging week starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday. Cancellation of Services A minimum of 24 hours notice should be given to cancel a service otherwise the charge may still be levied. In exceptional circumstances a charge may be waived if notice cannot be given e.g. emergency admission to hospital Request for Reassessment Procedure Any individual who feels that the payment of their assessed contribution would cause financial hardship may request a reassessment. The individual must first contact the Financial Assessment Officer that undertook the financial assessment to ensure that all relevant information was disclosed at the time of the assessment and for the assessment to be fully explained. If it is felt that the contribution is still incorrect after speaking to the Financial Assessment Officer, the matter should be referred to the Manager of the Financial Assessment and Benefits Team. The procedure in relation to this policy is detailed in Appendix C. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 5

10 A: Assessable Income/Capital The financial assessment process will look at the total income a person has available to make a contribution. Department of Health guidance dictates that we include certain sources of income and exclude other sources of income. The financial assessment takes into account the following income: All means tested and non-means tested benefits apart from Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance, Pension Credit Savings Credit, Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax and mobility element of Personal Independence Payment Armed Forces independence Payments (AFIP) Private/Personal/Occupational pensions Annuities Trust Fund Income Income from Investment bonds, as long as bond is not linked to life assurance Any income that could be payable but has not been applied for Tariff income from savings Any other income other than those shown below Types of income that cannot be taken into account These are: Evidence Earnings from employment Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment Where the user is in receipt of an Armed Forces Independence Payment and amount equivalent to the highest rate of DLA/PIP mobility element where the user only requires services during the day but receives the Highest Rate of the Care Component of Disability Living Allowance the income to be taken into account will be limited to the Middle Rate of the Care Component of Disability Living Allowance so that we will not take into account the difference between the Higher and Middle Rates similarly, where the user only requires services during the day but receives the Higher Rate of Attendance Allowance the income to be taken into account will be limited to the Lower Rate of Attendance Allowance so that we will not take into account the difference between the Higher and Lower Rates Payments from Independent Living Fund Savings Credit element of Pension Credit In order to carry out the financial assessment the Service User will be asked to produce upto-date documentary evidence of income including Social Security Pensions, Benefits, Entitlements and Allowances. It is the Service User s responsibility to provide the required evidence of income. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 6

11 Everyone will be requested to sign a form to authorise the Financial Assessment and Benefits Team to obtain benefit information from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). However if a person would prefer to provide documentary evidence of their Benefits, Pensions and Allowances received from DWP direct to the Visiting Officer, and any subsequent Financial Assessment Officer, then they may wish to decline to sign the form. Deprivation of Income If a Service User fails to claim an income to which they are entitled e.g. not claiming their State Retirement Pension, in certain circumstances that income may still be taken into account within the financial assessment. This is known as deprivation of income. In order to decide whether or not the income should be included, the Service User will be asked to provide full details of why the income has not been claimed. There may be many reasons why an income is not claimed. However if the Financial Assessment Officer feels that a significant reason for not claiming the income is to reduce the contribution the Service User has to pay towards their care, the Service User may for the purposes of the financial assessment be treated as in receipt of the unclaimed income The Financial Assessment Officer may require the Service User to produce documentary evidence for a period prior to the assessment date to determine whether deprivation has occurred. Treatment of Capital and Tariff Income The value of capital and assets is defined within the Department of Health s Charging for Residential Accommodation Guide. This guide will be used to provide clarification of the treatment of income and capital. Capital limits are aligned to those applicable to residential care funding under the Department of Health s Charging for Residential Accommodation Guide (CRAG) and will change from time to time in accordance with their guidance. Capital of 14,250 or less is fully disregarded (i.e. does not attract tariff income). This is called the lower capital limit. A Service User with Capital of more than 23,250 is liable to pay the full cost of the services they are receiving. This is called the upper capital limit. Capital of over 14,250 and up to and including 23,250 is taking into account in full for the purposes of calculating the Service User s tariff income. We do this on the basis that the Service User is assumed to have an income of 1 per week for every 250 of capital or part thereof. What Is Capital? The following is a list of items that are considered as capital but is not exhaustive list. Monies held in building society accounts Monies held in bank accounts Cash Stocks, Shares, investment bonds Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 7

12 Unit trusts Premium Bonds National Savings Certificates The value of any buildings or land, after the value of any secured debt has been deducted, but not the Service Users own home Value of any business where the Service User does not intend to return to work Trust Funds The capital value of a Service User s home will not normally be taken into account in the financial assessment where they continue to occupy the property. The capital value of any other property owned or part owned by the Service User will be considered as capital. Where a couple s assets are held in joint names and only one partner is receiving a service, the value of the Service Users share of the capital is considered to be one half of the total value, unless a couple s assessment has been completed when the total capital will be taken into account. It is the individual s responsibility to provide up to date documentary evidence giving details of any capital held. Failure to provide documentary evidence may result in being required to pay the full cost of the services provided. Deprivation of Capital Deprivation is the disposal of capital assets (both property and investments) in order to avoid or reduce their contribution. Disposal could take the form of transfer of ownership, or conversion of an asset into a disregarded asset, and will be treated as notional capital within the financial assessment. When considering if deprivation has occurred the Financial Assessment Officer will need to take into account the timing of the event/s that has led to the deprivation question being considered. In order to obtain a full picture of events they may require documentary evidence of the level of capital for a period before the assessment date. If an individual is considering, or has transferred property or assets, whilst in receipt of care, this may affect their eligibility for funded residential or nursing care if it is needed in the future, and potentially entitlement to some welfare benefits. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 8

13 B: Allowances and Disregards All individuals will retain income at least equivalent to basic Income Support or Pension Credit Guarantee levels plus 25%. This amount is calculated by adding together: Basic Income Support/Pension Credit Allowance Enhanced Disability Premium or Carers premiums applicable to the Service User A buffer of 25% An allowance to cover interest on mortgages and council tax net of any benefits received to cover these payments This is known as the Service User Protected Weekly Amount or Personal Income Disregard. Where a Service User lives with another adult other than his/her spouse/partner no Housing Allowance will be given as it is assumed that any contribution towards rent/mortgage interest and/or Local Council Tax will be made from the Service User Personal Income Disregard. The exception to this rule is if the housing costs of the other adult increases as the result of the Service User living there. In these cases an allowance equal to the additional costs incurred by the other adult Where a Service User lives with a spouse or partner but is financially assessed as a single person a housing allowance will be given equal to 50% of the joint liability. It is expected that the retained income figure will cover everyday living costs such as Food Drink Board and Lodge Hairdressing Bedding Clothes Spectacles Dentistry Alternative therapies/treatments Prescription items Insurances including building, contents, mortgage protection, life Utility bills such as Water, gas, electricity and telephone Window Cleaners Transport costs TV Licence and subscriptions to satellite or digital TV companies Repairs and maintenance of buildings Gardening other than basic gardening costs allowable under DRE Other expenditure such as personal debts and arrears This list is not exhaustive. It is important that Service Users are provided with information and advice on the benefits available in order to maximise their income. The Visiting Officer from the Financial Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 9

14 Assessment and Benefits Team will be able to offer benefits advice as an integral part of the financial assessment. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 10

15 C: Disability Related Expenditure The Department of Health Guidance makes it clear that if disability related benefits are included as income, then consideration has to be given to the additional amount a person may spend to enable them to live independently. This additional expenditure is called Disability Related Expenditure (DRE). The following general considerations will be taken into account when assessing any Disability Related Expenditure: Only items where the customer has no choice other than to incur the expenditure in order to maintain independence should be allowed A Disability Related Expenditure assessment will normally apply for a full year. However, it may be reviewed more frequently by the Financial Assessment and Benefits Team, if requested The Disability Related Expenditure assessment will normally be carried out by personal interview The Service Users Care/Support Plan should give guidance to the assessment will officer on the level and type of support needed and therefore what Disability Related Expenditure is justifiable Only the most cost effective and reasonable form of expenditure on disability related items will be allowed within the financial assessment. Evidence/Receipts will be requested to verify the expenditure. Items will be allowed on the basis of past expenditure not future expenditure. It may be that items will not be included within the financial assessment if no evidence of expenditure is provided. Disability Related Expenditure which relates to night support will only be included if night care is being provided and forms part of the package of care being financially assessed. In these circumstances the Higher Rate of Attendance Allowance or the Highest Rate of the Care Component of Disability Living Allowance will be taken into account as income. Where Personal Independence Payments are being received then all DRE will be considered within the financial assessment. This is because Personal Independence Payment is an award for a 24 hour day. If Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment Mobility Component is in payment, the costs of transport can only be included if the amount paid each week exceeds the amount of the Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment Mobility Component. Generally the Disability Living Allowance Mobility Component should cover the cost of transport. Disability Related Expenditure in excess of the amounts shown in Appendix B will be considered in exceptional circumstances and where evidence of expenditure is produced. If the Service User requests any additional items/services be included in the assessment after the financial assessment has been undertaken and the service user has been notified of their weekly contributions, receipts or supporting evidence will be required Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 11

16 No allowance will normally be given for any medication, drugs or incontinence products which are available via health services An allowance towards the cost of any alternative therapies or treatments will only be allowed at the discretion of the Social Work Team Manager. It is not possible to have an exhaustive list of Disability Related Expenditure, but listed in Appendix B are some of the more common items together with details of how Disability Related Expenditure is calculated and what evidence of expenditure is required. The allowances shown in Appendix B have been set following consultation with various groups within Bournemouth, discussions with neighbouring Local Authorities and guidance issued by the National Association of Financial Assessment Officers. It is accepted that in some circumstances the amounts listed in Appendix B may not be sufficient to cover a Service Users additional expenditure, so where a Service User can provide evidence that the amount is insufficient a higher amount will be considered. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 12

17 D: Disposable Income / Maximum Contribution When all of the Service User s allowances and Disability Related Expenditure have been calculated, they will be deducted from their total Assessable income. This will give the amount of Disposable income. If the Service Users assessment results in a zero or negative disposable income figure then they will not be asked to contribute towards the cost of the services they receive. The Disposable Income figure, if positive, is the maximum a person can be asked to pay towards their care. The Service User will only pay the lower of either the full cost of the services provided or their disposable income. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 13

18 Appendix A - Maximum Charges Domiciliary Care/Home Care/Support Charges The costs of these services are as follows: Hourly Charge ¾ hour charge ½ hour charge 9.20 ¼ hour charge 5.75 The charge relates to the total amount of time carers are providing the service i.e. where two carers are provided, the charge will be for both carers multiplied by the cost of the time spent at the home. Support charges provided by organisations such as Wessex Autistic Society or Communication Learning Advice Support Services will be charged in line with Domiciliary and Home care rates. Extra Care 24 hours support and personal care service (Brushett House and Craigleith) This is a service exclusively for residents of these establishments. It is a 24 hour support service in addition to any possible element of personal-care. The cost of this service depends on needs and the level of care provided and has four bands Background support only no charge Low care needs per week Medium care needs per week High care needs per week If admitted to or discharged from hospital during the course of a week, the charge for that week will be determined depending on the level of care that was required during the week of admission or discharge. The level of needs will be determined by the Social Worker when they undertake the care assessment or on review of that assessment. The banding will be determined by the consistent level of care a person required over a four week period. The care provider may also provide information which may result in a change of banding. Mobile Nights The cost of this service is per visit Transport to and from day centres The average cost to the Council of providing the service is 7.81 per journey, e.g per day for transport to and from a day centre and this is what will be charged. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 14

19 Day Care Opportunities The cost of a session, which is a period up to 3 ½ hours, is dependent on an individual s need for support. There are three banding levels depending on the level of support required as follows: High Need per session Medium Need per session Low Need per session Shared Lives Scheme This is where an individual lives on a long term basis with a Shared Lives Carer and pays a contribution to the carer towards the cost of their food and bills from their benefits. A financial assessment will be required to determine the contribution towards the cost: of a placement in a Shared Lives home of respite services in a Shared Lives Home of respite services in the home of the parent/carer in the community Personal Budgets Under personalisation and following an assessment of their needs and our agreement to their Support Plan, Service users are given a personal budget This can be taken as: Direct Payments, which may include an amount to cover short breaks, to be made direct to the Service User or their agent so that they may arrange their own care services or If an individual does not wish to manage their own budget and care then Bournemouth Borough Council will manage it on their behalf. We call this a Council Managed Personal Budget or a mixture of both i.e. some Direct Payments and some as a Council Managed Personal Budget The maximum amount a Service User can be charged is 100% of the total amount of the budget. A Personal Budget will normally run for a period of 12 months. Where a Service User chooses to have Direct Payments any contribution that an individual has to pay will be based on the annual personal budget amount. However if the budget is reduced during the course of the 12 month period then a refund of contributions will only be made if so the budget is reduced to a figure below the amount of contributions paid. Where a Personal Budget relates to a period of less than 12 months, then the period a Service User is required to contribute for will equate to the period of the budget e.g. where a Service User receives a budget for a six week period then they will only be required to contribute for those six weeks. In exceptional circumstances an individual may be allowed to carry forward money from their personal budget from one year to the next if agreed by the Social Work Team Manager. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 15

20 All non residential services provided by other local authorities Where these are purchased on behalf of a Bournemouth Service User they will be charged for, the maximum charge being the actual cost of the service Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 16

21 Appendix B - Disability Related Expenditure These rates apply from 6 April 2014 a) Community Care Alarms Item Up to an amount of Evidence Community Alarm System 3.20 per week Bills from Provider b) Power costs Item Average rates Evidence Gas, Electricity, Coal, Oil costs all fuels above average fuel levels for the housing type required by the Service User up to 8.70 per week unless there is evidence that expenditure is more than this Single in a flat or 1158 Terraced property Couple in a flat or 1527 Terraced property Single in semi 1229 detached property Last 4 bills for all types of fuel. Minimum requirement of one winter and one summer bill. OR Couple in a semi 1619 Detached property Single in detached 1495 property Standing order and most recent annual bill OR Evidence of payment if a Key Meter Couple in a 1970 detached property Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 17

22 c) Reasonable cost of basic garden maintenance, if unable to do so due to individual s disability Item Amount Evidence Cost of basic gardening this is to maintain the garden to a safe but basic standard and where there is no one else in the household who can undertake this task Up to an amount of 429 per annum is thought to be reasonable for an average size garden. Where a garden is larger than average then higher amounts may be considered It is accepted that most gardens are not maintained each week of the year which is why an annual figure is shown. Receipts d) Reasonable costs of basic cleaning, if the Service User is unable to do it due to disability Item Amount Evidence Private domestic help If the Service User is unable to do the cleaning due to disability and no one else in the household can carry out the task up to per week. Receipts e) Cost of specialist items due to disability Item Amount Evidence Exceptional laundry costs which includes the additional cost of washing powders, softeners etc inc. Specialist washing products Cleaning Products e.g. disinfectants, bleach Incontinence products e.g. pads Specialist chemist items Bedding additional bedding may be required due to disability related wear and tear Up to 3.25 per week depending on number of loads of washing undertaken Up to per week but NHS should provide incontinence pads where required Actual costs of bedding or initial setting up costs if moving from a double to single bed Receipts Receipts Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 18

23 Specialist Clothing and Footwear additional costs may be incurred due to customers requiring specially tailored garments or through abnormal disability related wear and tear Specialist Dietary Costs additional costs may be incurred due to a special diet being required and where those specialist items are not available via NHS Actual cost of additional clothing and footwear due to disability related wear and tear Discretionary as special dietary needs may not be more expensive than a normal diet Receipts Chiropody Up to 3.50 per week Receipts Details of special purchases and letter from GP confirming that a specialist diet is required. f) Insurance, Maintenance and repair of disability related equipment No allowance will be made for servicing or repair costs where the customer has not purchased the equipment privately. Equipment needs should be endorsed by the Social Workers. The cost of replacement can be considered e.g. If a wheelchair is purchased for 400 and is expected to be replaced after 5 years, the weekly allowance will 400/260 (weeks) = 1.54 Item Up to an amount of Evidence Powered Wheelchair 9.07 per week Receipts Manual wheelchair 3.70 per week Receipts Stairlifts 5.82 per week Receipts Other Equipment Various depending on life span, cost and whether grant available Receipts Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 19

24 g) Transport costs Item Amount Evidence Transport costs should be met through Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment mobility component, Motability cars/scooters and travel concessions e.g. bus passes. However where this is not possible an allowance may be made. Up to a usual amount of 25 per week less any DLA/PIP mobility element Receipts or details of trips taken. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 20

25 Appendix C - How to Comment, Compliment or Complain about a Financial Assessment We are constantly trying to improve our service to you and would welcome your comments, compliments or complaints. We hope the questions and answers on this information sheet will help you find out what do if you need to do if you wish to make a comment, complaint or compliment about the way a financial assessment was conducted. I think the calculations are wrong and I am being asked to contribute too much towards my care. What should I do? Write, or telephone the Financial Assessment Officer who visited you explaining why you think the assessment is incorrect. Their name, telephone number and address is on the letter giving details of your contribution towards the cost of you care I am still not satisfied with the amount I am being asked to contribute and wish to appeal against this. What do I do? Write, or telephone the Manager of the Financial Assessment and Benefits Team explaining clearly the reasons for your appeal and providing any evidence you may have to show why you think the assessment is incorrect The Manager will consider all the information provided and write to you with their decision and if appropriate will arrange for a revised contribution to be notified to you. If you are still unhappy with the decision you should speak to the Complaints Manager on I am not satisfied with the conduct of the Financial Assessment Officer who visited me. What should I do? Please let us know by telephoning, ing or writing to the Manager of the Financial Assessment and Benefits Team and explaining why the conduct was unacceptable and the name of the Financial Assessment Officer. It will be helpful if you would give specific details to show the unacceptable behaviour for example, if the Financial Assessment Officer was unacceptably late for the appointment please advise at what time the person arrived and what reason they gave for the late arrival. I wish to compliment or comment on the way the financial assessment process was carried out and the way the outcome of the financial assessment was notified to me. Please let us know by telephoning, ing or writing to the Manager of the Financial Assessment and Benefits Team giving the name of the Financial Assessment Officer involved together with details of the aspect of the process that you particularly wish to mention. Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 21

26 How to contact us: Financial Assessment and Benefits Team Adult Social Care Wallisdown Heights Office 121 Canford Avenue BOURNEMOUTH BH11 8SH Telephone: Version 1.2 Apr 2014 Page 22