www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Supporting People - full charging policy
Charging Policy for Supporting People Services
Wiltshire Supporting People Partnership Board has agreed to implement the following charging policy for Supporting People services in Wiltshire:
- To agree to adopt a charging policy for Supporting People in line with Government and local Fairer Charging policy where all long term services are chargeable.
- To adopt the definitions for short & long term services as set by Office of the Dupty Prime Minster (ODPM).
- To apply ‘ in principle’ the charging policy across the County evenly, respecting protection for existing tenants and recognising the historical differences.
For the purposes of this charging policy the following definitions have been adopted, based on ODPM guidance:
- Short term services: are services that aim to bring about independent living within two years - e.g. refuges, homeless hostels and some floating/tenancy support services.
- Long term services: are services that aim to maintain a limited degree of independent living which is not expected to increase, and may diminish over time, as part of a permanent or open-ended arrangement - e.g. sheltered and extra care housing, long term supported accommodation for people with Learning Disabilities or Mental Health Problems.
Charging Process
From April 2003, Wiltshire County Council is obliged to make payments of Supporting People subsidy to support providers in respect of tenants/service users who are assessed as unable to pay the full support charge themselves.
Payments will be made net and in respect of those individuals who meet the means test. Those tenants/service users who are assessed as able to pay the full charge will pay the support charge direct to their landlord/support provider.
Any service user who receives full or partial Housing Benefit after April 2003 will be passported and will have the full support charge paid to their support provider by Wiltshire County Council as the Administering Authority.
All service users who do not get Housing Benefit will have the opportunity to apply for a financial assessment under the County Council’s fairer charging policy after April 2003. This may result in WCC paying full or partial subsidy in respect of the individual’s support charge.
From April 2003, service users will be required to notify the Supporting People team that they wish to apply for help with their support charge and to sign a declaration giving the Supporting People team the authority to share information from the Housing Benefit teams and the Fairer Charging team.
Eligibility for Supporting People subsidy will be determined following the result of a Housing Benefit or Fairer Charging means test.
Where service users meet the HB or FC means test, Supporting People subsidy will be paid direct to the support provider from the date of application.
Date of Application
For new tenants, the notification that they wish to apply for help with their support charge will be completed at the sign up interview. The support provider will provide information and support regarding the application process.
If the notification of an application is received by the Supporting People team in the first week (MON-SUN) of a tenancy, or in the first week a support agreement commences, then the application date will be the date of tenancy, or the date the support agreement commences.
For notifications received after the week in which the tenancy or support agreement commences, the application date will be the Monday following the date the notification is received by the Supporting People team.
Changes in Circumstances
Supporting People subsidy will continue for as long as a service user continues to meet a HB or FC means test.
Service users are responsible for notifying the Supporting People team if their financial circumstances change.
Supporting People subsidy payments will cease from the Monday following the date that Housing Benefit stops, or the Monday following the date that a Fairer Charging assessment determines that a service user is able to pay the full support charge.
Overpayments
Where entitlement to Housing Benefit or assistance via a Fairer Charging assessment ceases, and the Supporting People team are notified retrospectively, this will result in an overpayment of SP subsidy to the provider.
Overpayments will be recovered from future payments to providers, unless service users notify the Supporting People team that they wish to make alternative arrangements.
Overpayments will be recovered in accordance with the protocol for overpayments, which has been agreed with providers as part of the contracting process. The principles of the protocol are:
- That for amounts overpaid by the Administering Authority, where the decision to pay is based on financial assessment, then the Administering Authority must take primary responsibility.
- Where the payment is for an individual who is no longer a service user, or relates to dates of occupancy, the provider must take responsibility.
- The Administering Authority will decide whether to recover an overpayment in each case. In reaching a decision, the AA will have regard to decisions by the HB and FC teams as to whether recovery is appropriate.
Notifications
The Supporting People team are responsible for notifying service users:
- Whether they will have their support costs met through SP subsidy
- How much that subsidy will be
- The date the subsidy starts and ends
Transitional Protection
No existing tenant should be worse off financially as a result of Supporting People. Where service users lose their entitlement to Housing Benefit because the support charge has been removed from their rent, the AA is required to offer transitional protection.
Transitional protection freezes the contribution to the support charge at the level the service user was paying before April 2003. However, should the service user decide to pursue a financial assessment through Fairer Charging, the assessment will supercede any transitional protection in place and the service user will be obliged to pay the assessed charge from the date of the assessment.
Allocation of Support/Care collectable income
Where individuals are paying a combined care/support contribution, the collectable income will be allocated to the relevant budgets proportional to the percentage of the total package (i.e. if support is 30% of the total care/support package, 30% of that person’s contribution is allocated to Supporting People as collectable income).
Appeals
Wiltshire County Council’s Fairer Charging appeals process incorporates Supporting People. Details of the appeals process will be available to anyone requesting a financial assessment.
Contact Details
By Post
Supporting People
The Cedars
Browfort
Bath Road
Devizes
By Email
supportingpeople@wiltshire.gov.uk
By Telephone
01380 738018
By Fax
01380 738019
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
