Careers Rights Day 21 st November 2019 Striving for excellence - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Council Tax and Adult Social Care Financial Assessments Careers Rights Day

21st November 2019

www.enfield.gov.uk

Striving for excellence

Agenda

• Council Tax

– Discounts / Disregards /Exemptions – Disabled Relief – Council Tax Support – Council Tax Hardship

• Adult Social Care Financial Assessments

– Receiving Care at home Calculation including DRE

What is Council Tax?

• Introduced in 1993
• 50% Property Tax and 50% Personal Tax
• Applies to all domestic dwellings (property)
• Charge payable dependent on band, number of

people and type of people resident in a dwelling

• Reductions available

Reductions

• Discounts

– Single Person Discount 25% – Job Related Discount 50% – Discount Disregards 25% (All residents disregarded 50%)

• Exemptions (21 different types)
• Disability Band Reduction
• Council Tax Support
• Council Tax Support Hardship

Discount Disregards

• When determining the number of adults resident in a

property, certain people are disregarded. The effect is the same as if that person were not resident. These are:

– Persons in detention (prison or detained in custody) – Severely mentally impaired – Persons in respect of whom child benefit is payable – Students & Spouses (Non-British) of students – Hospital patients – Patients in homes in England, Wales & Scotland – Carers and Careworkers – Residents of hostels or night shelters for the homeless – Members of International HQs & Defence Organisations – Members of Religious Communities – School and college leavers – Members of Visiting forces – Diplomats – Apprentices & YTS

Discount disregards

• When is it granted?
• If there are more than 2 adults who don’t qualify

to be disregarded then no discount applies

• If all but one adult qualifies to be disregarded

then a 25% discount applies

• If all residents are disregarded, 50% discount

applies

Example:

Severe Mental Impairment disregard criteria

• Not all people who are severely mentally

impaired can be disregarded. Examples of those who would qualify are people suffering from either:

• a) A state of arrested or incomplete

development of mind which causes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning; or

• b) an injury to the brain causing severe

impairment of intelligence and social functioning which appears to be permanent;

• And
• They must also receive one of the qualifying

benefits, or be entitled to one of them

• Their General or Medical Practitioner must

confirm their condition. We will need permission from a relative or a guardian for the Council to approach the G.P.

• We cannot disregard anyone under the age of

18

Carer disregard criteria

• To be providing care for a person who is entitled

to one of the following state benefits: i) A higher rate attendance allowance ii) The highest rate of the care component of a disability living allowance iii) The appropriately increased rate of disablement pension iv) An increase in a constant attendance allowance v) Standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component of the Personal Independence Payment

Must be

• Resident in the same dwelling as the person to

whom care is being provided

• Providing care for at least 35 hours per week on

average And:

• Not a disqualified relative of the person being

cared for. A disqualified relative is a person who is the spouse of the other or they live together as husband & wife, or the parent of the other who is a child below 18 years of age

Disabled Relief

• A discount that is equal to reducing the charge by 1

band

• Qualifying Person: “a person who is substantially and

permanently disabled (whether by illness, injury, congenital deformity or otherwise)” * can be under the age of 18

• Property has either:

– A room mainly used by & required for meeting the needs of the qualifying individual but NOT a bathroom, kitchen or lavatory or – An additional bathroom or kitchen required for meeting the needs of the qualifying individual; or – Sufficient floor space for the use of a wheelchair required for meeting the needs of the qualifying individual

• Usually we visit the property

Useful information

• These exemptions, disregards and disabled

reductions can be backdated

• All of the above reductions are calculated before

the award of any Council Tax Support

• Appeals – if you disagree with our decision, you

can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal www.valuationtribunal.gov.uk

Applying For Discounts and Disabled Relief

• Visit our website

https://new.enfield.gov.uk/services/council-tax/

• Call us on 020 8379 1000
• Email us at revs@enfield.gov.uk
• If you need help we can a arrange a visit so that

someone can help you.

• Helps those on a low income pay Council Tax
• Pensioners

– Protection from The Minimum Payment

• Working age

– CTS Minimum payment 26.5% (reducing to 24.5% 20/21) unless protected:

• War Widows
• A Claimant or partner in receipt of Carers Allowance
• A Claimant or partner in receipt of High Rate Disability Living Allowance

(Mobility and Care component) or Enhanced Personal Independence Payments (Daily Living and Mobility Component)

• A Claimant or partner in receipt of the support component of Employment

and Support Allowance

• A Claimant or partner who are Foster Carers and who were recruited and

trained by Enfield Council

• Single people under 25 years old (Picks up all care leavers)

Council Tax Support Information

• Working age

– 2 schemes depending on whether Universal Credit (UC) in payment

• UC in payment
• Full CTS (up to 73.5% if not protected and 100% if protected), where

net earned income less than £1,265 per month (Less than £1,100 per month from 20/21)

• No CTS where net earned income £1,265 or more per month (£1,100
• r more per month from 20/21)
• UC not in payment
• Based on old Council Tax benefit calculation with local scheme

changes (Calculation Taper change from 20% to 22.5% from 20/21)

Council Tax Support Information

Council Tax Hardship Payment

• Criteria for claiming

– Council Tax Support (CTS) is in payment but CTS doesn’t cover the full charge

• When awarded

– If claimant unable to pay the council tax due to severe financial hardship and taking steps to find a resolution

• How claimed

– On line through link https://new.enfield.gov.uk/services/benefits/discretionary- payments/#cth – Also considered when a claim for Discretionary Housing Payment is made to help pay rent after Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs awarded

Applying for Council Tax Support and Council Tax Support Hardship:

• Visit our website

https://new.enfield.gov.uk/services/benefits/

– Claims for Council Tax Support and Council Tax Support Hardship are made on line. You will be directed to sign up to Enfield Connected

• If you need advice

– Call us on 020 8379 1000 – Email us at revs@enfield.gov.uk

Questions?

Adult Social Care Financial Assessments

• If you are eligible for help from the Council,

you may need to pay towards your care.

• The Adult Social Care Financial Assessment

Team will work out how much you will need to contribute.

• This is called a financial assessment
• Here’s how to work out what you will

contribute

• 1 - we work out your ‘Assessable

Income’.

• This is most likely benefits,

including;

– Income Support (IS), – Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), – Universal Credit (UC), – Care Component of DLA, – Attendance Allowance, – Daily Living Component of PIP,

• Some people may also get these

benefits

– Pension Credit (PC), – Carers Allowance, – Jobseekers Allowance, – Bereavement Allowance, – State Pension

• Some benefits are not included in your

Assessable Income

– Mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) / Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and mobility supplement

• f war pensions,

– Disabled Facilities Grant payments, – £28.95 if in receipt of high rate of Attendance Allowance and not having night care provided through your personal budget

• Some benefits are not included in

your Assessable Income

– Earnings from employment / Statutory Sick Pay, – Pension Savings Credit, – Child Benefit / Child Tax Credits, – the first £10 per week of War Widows and War Widowers pension, – Civilian War Injury pension

• If you have ‘Assets’ (Savings) this might

count towards your assessable income;

• If you have over £23,250 you pay for all
• f your care.
• We calculate £1 a week income for every

£250 held above £14,250.

• Asset less than £14,250 do not count.
• (Owning a house you live in does not

count as an ‘asset’ – If you own a second property you’ll be considered as having

• ver £23,250)

£23,250 £14,250

• We add all the these things up and that

gives your ‘Assessable Income’.

• 2. We work out your ‘Minimum Income

Guarantee’

• Every Year the Government publishes guidelines on

the ‘Minimum Income Guarantee’ (MIG)

• After you pay your Care Charges, you MUST have

at least this much left

• It depends on things like your age and the

benefits you get

• Enfield allows a little more than the government

guidelines.

• In the new Care Charging Booklet you will be

able to look up your own MIG.

• 3. We work out your ‘Housing Related

Expenditure’

• This is normally; -

– Rent – Council Tax

• It could also be

– Mortgage payments – Ground Rent

• You need to have evidence you pay these

costs.

• If you are part of a couple, the costs will be

divided equally

• 4. We work out your ‘Disability Related

Expenditure’ (DRE)

• DRE is the extra expense you face because of

your disability or illness.

• To Claim DRE you must get; -

– Attendance Allowance, – the Care Component of Disability Living Allowance or – Daily Living Component of Personal Independence Payment

• There is a new DRE guideline
• We’ve brought copies for you to take away
• Anyone who has a new assessment, or

annual reassessment, will have these guidelines explained to them.

• If your DRE is ‘Reasonable’, you do not

have to provide evidence of spending.

The Calculation!

• =

Assessab le Income MIG Housing Costs DRE

Your Contribution

minus minus minus Equals

Example – Living at home receiving care

Grant is 78 years old and lives on his own. Grant’s weekly income: State Retirement Pension £130.60 Private Pension £21.00 Pension Guarantee Credit (including Severe Disability Premium) £81.50 Attendance Allowance £87.65 Total income £320.75 Less MIG

• £189.00

Less night care element of Attendance Allowance -£28.95 Less Disability Related Expenses -£7.00 Equals net disposable income (Grants Contribution £95.80 Full cost of Grant’s services / Grants personal budget £210.00 Less Grant’s contribution £95.80 Equals Council’s contribution £114.20

• If the Council is arranging and managing Grant’s services for him, they will pay

£210.00 to Grant’s service providers and invoice Grant for his contribution of £95.80.

• If the Grant arranged his own care the council would pay Grant £114.20 and

Grant would have to pay the care provider £210

Questions?