Paying for your care

Deferred Payment Agreement

A Deferred Payment Agreement is a way of deferring most of your care home costs which you then will need to repay at a later date. A Deferred Payment Agreement is designed to help you if you have been assessed as having to pay the full cost of your residential care, but cannot afford to pay the full weekly charge because most of your capital is tied up in your home. To be able to receive a deferred payment scheme to assist with your care home funding, the value of your savings and capital (not including the value of your home) must be less than £23,250.

How to get a loan from the council

If you decide to take out a loan from Kirklees Council, you must use your home as security. Kirklees Council will loan you an agreed amount of your weekly care and support fees whilst ever you have enough equity in the value of your home to cover your debt and any related charges.

Payment of weekly costs under a Deffered Payment Agreement

To work out how much you would need to pay each week towards your care home fees, please complete a financial assistance application.

Renting your house to help with care costs

You may decide to rent out your home and use the rental income to pay towards the cost of your care home fees. Kirklees Council will loan you the difference between the full cost of your care and the amount you are assessed to pay each week.

Tracking the amount you have borrowed

You will receive a statement twice a year as at 30 June and as at 31 December advising you how your loan is being calculated and what the outstanding sum on your Deferred Payment Agreement is. Interest will be applied to the money we lend you daily, each month you will have the choice to either pay the interest that has built up in the previous month or to add it to the loan amount.

You can find out more information about deferred payments on our Deferred Payments Scheme page.

Once we have received your online application for financial assistance, we will check the information you have provided. The online application tells you the information we need to look at.

Providing information for your financial assessment

You need to provide information as quickly as possible. The easiest way to provide the information is to upload it when you complete your application. It might be a good idea to ask for help from family and friends.

If we do not receive the information we need, you will not qualify for financial assistance and you remain liable to pay all your care home fees yourself. We will notify you in writing that you do not qualify, and we will also notify your care home. You will then be billed by your care home for the full cost of your care.

Paying care home fees in a Kirklees Council owned care home

If you live in a long term care home owned by Kirklees Council, you will receive a bill every 4 weeks unless it is a deferred payment agreement, in which case you will receive a statement every 6 months.

If you are assessed as needing nursing care the NHS will fund the nursing element of the overall care costs only. You may qualify for financial assistance to help you pay the care fees element of your costs. Third party topup fees are extra charges for optional, more expensive accommodation. The Council will draw up a contract known as an individual placement agreement between you, your chosen care home, any third parties if applicable and Kirklees Council. This documents the amount each party is paying towards the total cost of your placement.