Alternative bill payers

If you are a representative or alternate bill payer for someone who receives care and support from Hampshire County Council, please be aware. The invoice the person you support will receive from the County Council in December will be for five weeks of their care cost contribution rather than the usual four weeks.

What does that mean?

This means that the invoice will be more than usual because they are being billed for five weeks care and support rather than four. Please be assured that they are still only paying their care cost contribution for the care and support they have received.

Why is this happening?

There are 52 weeks and one day in a standard calendar year. Over a few years, the single day accumulates, resulting in another week being included in our billing schedule. This invoice is for care and support received from 9 October to 12 November 2023. The January invoice, and all invoices going forward, will go back to four weeks.

Do I need to do anything differently?

No, all you need to do is pay the invoice in the same way you usually would.

What happens if I cannot afford my bill?

Please note that the person you represent or pay their care bill for is only being billed for care and support that they have received.

If they are finding it difficult to pay their bill they should pay what they can, but please be aware that if they do not pay for the full invoice amount they will automatically be placed into our debt recovery process. This means that from the following month, January, they will start to receive debt recovery letters from the County Council.

You can find additional information and support to help with the cost of living. You can also get financial help and advice from your local Citizens Advice office. Or you can call their national phone line on 0800 144 8848, open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

What should I do if I have any more questions about the five-week invoice?

If you have any further questions, you can call us on 0300 555 1386 and select the ‘Finance’ option on the call menu. Please bear in mind that our phone lines are likely to busy during this time and we expect that calls will take longer to deal with.