Policy objectives for charging policy
4.1
The principles underpinning this policy are:
- Where the Council is required to arrange care and support for free, it does so;
- That adults are not charged more than it is reasonably practicable for them to pay following a Financial Assessment. The Financial Assessment will consider any additional costs that an adult may face as a result of their disability;
- To provide clear and transparent information so adults know what they will be charged for;
- To apply the rules consistently, to avoid variation in the way adults are assessed and charged;
- To promote wellbeing, social inclusion, and support the vision of personalisation, independence, choice and control;
- To support carers to look after their own health and wellbeing and to care effectively and safely;
- To be person-focused, reflecting the variety of care and caring journeys and the variety of options available to meet needs of adults;
- To apply charging rules equally so those with similar needs or services are treated the same and to minimise anomalies between different care settings;
- To ensure that the charge to the adult for services provided is no greater than the cost of that service being delivered to the Council;
- To encourage and enable those who wish to stay in or take up employment, education or training, to plan for the future costs of meeting their needs to do so;
- To ensure that where an adult lacks capacity to undertake a Financial Assessment that the Council consults a suitable person defined as having either
➢ Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA);
➢ Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) for Property and Affairs;
➢ Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) for Health and Welfare;
➢ Property and Affairs Deputyship under the Court of Protection; or
➢ any other person dealing with that person’s affairs, for example - someone who has been given Appointeeship by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) for the purpose of benefits payments