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Kent County Council (KCC) provides adult social care services to approximately 16,394 residents aged over 18 years old. Approximately 15,806 of these people receive chargeable social care services.

When people living in Kent need adult social care, as well as assessing their care needs, we also assess their income to decide how much they pay towards their care. Some people don’t pay anything, and the council picks up all of the cost, some people pay a contribution, and some people pay for all of their care (these people are known as self-funders).

KCC sets out what and how people need to pay in the Charging Policy for adult social care in a person’s own home or in the community(External link). This policy does not impact on people who live in and receive care and support in a residential care home.

KCC is facing a large increase in the cost of providing services and ever-increasing demand for services and needs to find ways to make these services sustainable. One possibility is to make changes to the Adult Social Care Charging Policy. You can find more information about this here.

What are these consultations about?

KCC is reviewing how much people may have to pay towards the chargeable care and support services that we provide or arrange at home (for example homecare including supported living) and in the community (for example daytime support).

We are consulting on two potential changes to our Adult Social Care Charging Policy:

1. To stop disregarding the higher or enhanced rates of Attendance Allowance (AA), Personal Independent Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) when we calculate a person’s income.
   
   

2. To introduce a new Self-Funding Arrangement Set up Fee for all new self-funders who would like KCC to negotiate, arrange and manage care and support services with care providers on their behalf.

How can you find out more and have your say?

Click on the links below for more information on both consultations, including details of:

• The proposals, who could be impacted and how
• Why we are proposing these changes
• The current charging policy
• How you can tell us your views.

Higher Level Disability Benefits

Self-Funding Arrangement Set up Fee

These consultations are open from Tuesday 6 February and close at midnight on Sunday 7 April 2024.

Whether you've just heard about social care and want to find out more or have you own experience of social care to share - we want to hear from you.

We're looking for people from all walks of life, communities and backgrounds in Kent to get involved.

How much or how little is up to you:

• Receive our newsletter
• Join our discussions
• Be part of our projects
• Shape the future of social care

The local account ‘Here for you, how did we do?’ describes the achievements, improvements and challenges in adult social care in Kent. In our tenth edition, which reports from September 2020 to December 2022