Who can get help from Adult Social Care and Health

1. Overview

Who can apply?

Adult Social Care work with people aged 18 and over who live in East Sussex, such as those who:

  • want to stay living at home but are finding it difficult to manage
  • would like to get out and about, but are unable to due to a health condition or disability
  • need information on how to access more suitable accommodation
  • look after someone who could not cope without their help

Eligibility

You could get help from us if:

  • you have care and support needs due to a disability, physical or mental health condition or illness
  • your disability, health condition or illness stops you from doing everyday tasks, like washing and getting out and about
  • this has an impact on at least two areas of your daily life
  • your wellbeing is affected because you cannot do these tasks

We will assess how your disability or health condition affects your life. To do this, we follow national rules set by the government. These ‘eligibility criteria’ are listed in full in this factsheet:

Factsheet: Who qualifies for our support?

The type of support available

Everyone who contacts Adult Social Care for help is offered free information and advice.

Care and support can include things like:

If you need help on an ongoing basis then we will do a Care Act needs assessment.

How to apply

If you need support you can apply online or contact us.

Working out what support you need

Your assessment

At your Care Act needs assessment, we will ask you about different aspects of your life and what you would like to achieve. For example, you might want help to get up and dressed each day or to be able to go out more. Make sure you tell us about all the everyday tasks you are struggling with.

We’ll ask about things like:

  • how you look after yourself
  • what’s working well
  • what you would like to change
  • the kinds of support you have now
  • your physical and emotional health

We can do this over the phone, by email, or we can arrange for someone to visit you.

We’ll use the information you give us to work out whether we are able to offer you practical support.

Your financial situation

We will also ask you some basic questions about your income and savings. Care and support services are not free – they are means-tested. Even if you qualify for help from us, it's likely you’ll need to pay towards your care.

Your support plan

If you are eligible for our help then we will help you to create a support plan. Your support plan says what you need help with and how your support will be provided. You can create your support plan yourself or ask someone to help you with it, such as:

  • family or friends
  • a service provider
  • your social care worker
  • an independent person who specialises in support planning

Once we have agreed your support plan, we will work out how much it will cost to provide the support in your plan.

How much it will cost

Care and support is not free and we charge for most of our services. The amount you pay depends on your financial situation. Most people pay a regular amount towards their care.

  • If you have more than £23,250 in savings and assets, you will have to pay the full cost of your care and support.
  • If you have less than £23,250, we will look at your savings, income and outgoings to work out how much you can afford to pay

We will ask you for details of your finances – this is called a financial assessment – and let you know if you need to pay towards your care costs.

Find out more

To find out more about paying for care and support, see Paying for care.