Contributing to your care costs

Information about contributions towards direct payments and financial assessments.

Direct payments are a way for you to arrange care yourself, but they are still considered a service commissioned on your behalf by Hampshire County Council and you will need a financial assessment to determine if you need to pay towards your care.

Contributions to adult social care services in Hampshire (and across England) are determined by your income and capital (savings and assets.) This means that the County Council will look at your financial situation to decide if you should pay something towards your care.

While the County Council provides funding to help with your care, individuals who have sufficient income or savings are required to contribute. This ensures that the system is fair and resources are directed to those who need them most.

How contributions are calculated

The County Council will conduct a financial assessment to work out how much you might need to pay. Based on this assessment, one of three outcomes will apply:

• No contribution: You will not have to pay anything towards your care if the assessment shows you are not eligible for a contribution. In this case, the County Council covers the full approved cost of your care and support
• Partial contribution: This happens if you are assessed as able to pay part, but not the full cost of your care. For example, the County Council might determine an amount per week that you contribute, and it will fund the remainder of your care package
• Full cost: The assessment concludes that you are eligible to pay the full cost of your care. This usually applies if your savings or income are above certain limits. In this situation, the County Council would not contribute towards your care and support costs, though the County Council can still help arrange services for you if requested, typically with an administration fee

Financial assessments

The law says that the County Council must check whether people can afford to pay towards their support. This is called a financial assessment.

If you have low income and little savings, you might not have to pay anything.

If you have more income or savings, you may be asked to pay something towards the cost.

Everyone should pay what they can reasonably afford, but no one should be left without enough money for everyday living costs.

Annual reviews

Your client contribution is reviewed and updated each April.

You will be informed of any changes before they take effect.

What the financial assessment covers

The financial assessment takes into account:

 

Income

Income includes pensions, benefits (such as Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payments), private pensions and any other income streams. For more information, see the Charging policy.

Capital and savings

Capital and savings includes money in bank accounts, investments and property you own (often excluding your main home when receiving care at home) For more information, see the Charging policy.

Disability-Related Expenditure (DRE)

These expenses will be taken into consideration when assessing how much you are required to contribute towards your support.

Identifying and recording your DRE assists with ensuring that your financial contribution reflects your individual circumstances.

Examples of DRE include:

• special diets
• extra heating costs
• laundry costs
• paying for help with tasks

Tell the County Council about these expenses and keep receipts where you can. For more information, see the Charging policy.

Allowances for everyday living costs

The County Council ensures that individuals receiving support are left with enough money to cover essential living costs such as food, utilities, clothing, rent, mortgage payments and council tax. This protected amount is known as the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG), and it varies depending on your age and personal circumstances.

For example; in the 2026/2027 financial year, a single disabled adult aged 25 to 64 should retain at least £120.40 per week after care costs. For more detailed information see: Social care - charging for care and support 2026 to 2027: local authority circular - GOV.UK.

The MIG is reviewed and updated annually. For more information, see the Charging policy.

After the financial assessment is complete

Once the assessment is complete the County Council calculates a Maximum Weekly Contribution (MWC). This is the highest weekly contribution the County Council expects you to pay, based on the assessment.

If the actual weekly cost of the care you receive (from Monday to Sunday) is less than that maximum, you pay only the lower amount.

Your contribution will be deducted from the direct payment amount you receive from the County Council. You are then responsible for paying your assessed contribution into your direct payment account.

For more information, see the Charging policy and Financial assessments.

How contributions work with direct payments

For example; if your support costs are £300 a week, and the County Council says your contribution is £50 a week, the County Council will pay you £250 a week as your direct payment.

You will need to pay £50 a week into your direct payment account yourself.

Your direct payment account should then have the full £300 each week to pay for your care.

It is very important to pay your contribution regularly into your direct payment account, otherwise there might not be enough money to pay the individuals or companies who support you.

If you are ineligible or your contributions exceed certain amounts

If your savings or capital are above a set threshold (£23,250), you may be required to pay the full cost yourself. The £23,250 figure is a government set capital threshold that can change, so you should always check the latest guidelines: Social care - charging for care and support 2026 to 2027 (GOV.UK).

If your assessed contribution is more than the cost of the care you’ve selected, you would pay just the cost of the care and support. There would be no additional amount due from you.

If you disagree with a calculation

If you think your contribution is incorrect, you can:

• ask the County Council to look at your financial assessment again
• provide more information about your income or expenses
• request advocacy support
• seek advice from organisations like Citizens Advice, Age UK, or local disability groups

Never be afraid to ask questions. It’s important to have a clear understanding of how your contribution is worked out.

If you have any concerns regarding your ability to afford your financial contribution, you should contact your social work team directly or contact adult social care.

Support with direct payments

If you have any questions about direct payments or require further information, contact the Direct Payment Support Service (DPSS).

The DPSS can not assist with setting up direct payments. To enquire about setting up a direct payment, make a request to the adults' social care team.

Direct Payment Support Service (DPSS)