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 cope
- would like to get out and about, but are unable to do so due to a health condition or disability
- need information on how to access more suitable accommodation
- look after someone who couldn’t cope without their help
Eligibility
You could get help from us if:
- You have care and support needs due to physical disability, mental impairment, or illness.
- Your disability, impairment or illness stops you from completing everyday tasks such as washing and dressing, cooking and getting out and about.
- This has an impact on at least two areas of your daily life.
- Your wellbeing is significantly affected because you cannot achieve these tasks.
We will assess the impact your disability or health condition has on your daily life. To do this, we follow national rules set by the government. These ‘eligibility criteria’ are listed in full at the end of this fact sheet:
The type of support available
Everyone who contacts Adult Social Care for help is offered free information and advice.
Depending on your personal circumstances, care and support can include things like:
- equipment or adaptations to your home
- alarms or devices to call for help
- help to get out in the community
- help from a carer
- support with moving to suitable accommodation
If you need help on an ongoing basis then we will carry out a needs assessment.
How to apply
If you need support you can apply online or contact us.
Working out what support you need
Having an assessment
At your 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 washed 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, you’ll probably need to pay something towards it.
Your support plan
After your assessment, if you are eligible for our help then we will help you to put a support plan together. This says what you need help with and how any 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 advisor
- 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 have to pay something towards their care.
- If you have more than £23, 250 in savings, 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.