There are some circumstances in which the council will pay more for your care than it would normally do. This might apply, for example, where there are no vacancies in their preferred lower cost home but a suitable home, that you like, and which can meet your needs, is available at a higher cost.

However, if you prefer a more expensive care home than the one the council has suggested, and they both meet your needs exactly, you would need help from a third party to pay for the additional care home fees.

The third-party can be a friend, a relative or an organisation. They must be willing to pay the ‘top-up’ costs for your care in the long-term, and will need to sign an agreement guaranteeing this. If the third party can no longer meet the terms of the agreement and top-up payment stops, you may have to move to a cheaper care home.