Are you receiving care in your own home or in the community?

News - 20 February 2023

Or did you reach pension age before 6th April 2016?
care

Or did you reach pension age before 6th April 2016? 

Did you receive Savings credit above: 

  • £5.90 (single persons) 

  • £8.85 if a couple? 

You need to read about possible changes to Savings Credit Disregard and share your thoughts. 

Savings Credit is a benefit given to those who have prepared for retirement by having some savings or qualifying income above a certain threshold. It is slowly being phased out, affecting those who did not reach State Pension age before 6 April 2016. 

Savings Credit Disregard is an additional amount of income that Kent County Council (KCC) protects when calculating how much you need to pay towards the cost of your care. For those that receive it, this protects their Savings Credit benefit.  

Currently, for those people affected by proposed changes, all Savings Credit is protected. 

Why is change being considered? 

KCC received a challenge they have recognised, that Savings Credit Disregard was being applied incorrectly and didn’t match legislation. They are considering correcting their guidance to match legislation. 

This impacts:  

  • Some persons receiving care in their own home or in the community. If this is you, your Savings Credit Disregard should be the same as those in a care home. 

The impacts look like: 

  • Less Savings Credit protected when calculations are done around how much someone has to pay for their care.  

Those affected, when looking to pay for their care, would then pay slightly more. 

KCC are considering: 

  • Extending the Savings Credit Disregard that currently covers people in care homes, to also cover people that receive care in their own home or the community, for people new to the service. 

The impact of this: 

  • Continuing lower charges than legislation states for people supported. 

A public consultation around proposed changes to their Adult Social Care Charging Policy will run until 21 March 2023.

There is more information about why they need to make changes and their ideas about how to change on their website if you click here. 

Full details of the proposals are in the consultation document.  

You can share your views here: Consultation questionnaire  

Further info is available from adultsocialcarecharging@kent.gov.uk or by telephone on 03000 422 557.