Social Care Charges
By Miriam Valencia, ASC’s Head of Digital Content
The cost of living is an enormous problem for many people in the UK. The Trussell Trust write that one in six households went hungry last year. The cost of basic food is rising and more people are in debt to energy companies.
But, as research by the charity Scope shows, if you are disabled, there is even greater financial pressure on you, as you struggle with the ‘Disability Price Tag’. For disabled households ‘to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households’, they needed ‘an additional £1,095 a month’ in 2024-2025, the charity explains. ‘On average,’ they go on to say, ‘the extra cost of disability is now equivalent to 67% of household income’.
When a disabled person draws on social care, the financial contributions they make towards the cost of this care can create a significant additional strain on their finances. Unlike health care, social care is not usually free, and most people have to pay towards the cost.
The government guidance on charging for social care states that ‘people should only be required to pay what they can afford.’ No-one should have to give up vital care and support because they don’t have the money to pay for it.
Challenging what you are being charged for your social care can feel complicated. Being presented with an official invoice you cannot pay is frightening. AccessAva is designed to help you find the right words to challenge the amount your local authority is charging you. The Care Act requires councils to work in a way that is fair and transparent when it comes to charging you for care and support, and our legal caseworkers have created template letters you can download from AccessAva reminding the local authority of this duty.
‘Sometimes it's difficult to approach social services if you don't know the right legal words to use and that can make a huge difference.’ (AccessAva user)
Users who click on the charging for social care topic on AccessAva will find background information on charging, information on who should be charged for social care, and who is entitled to free care and support.
For those who do have to pay, there are different sections that explain the systems for residential care and non-residential care. Residential care is social care in a care home, and non-residential care is where someone receives care and support in their own home or in the community.
Users are guided through different scenarios to identify the appropriate legal letter to send to the local authority to address their charging issues. These include:
Requesting a copy of their financial assessment
Letters asking the local authority to consider transport and housing costs when they calculate the person’s charges
Letter highlighting the disability-related expenses which the local authority should take into account in their financial assessment
We’d love to hear what you think of AccessAva and your experience of being charged for social care services. Please do consider joining our user research panel for a chance to help guide our development.