The current care and support system has often been said to be complicated and unfair, because local authorities are able to set their eligibility thresholds at different levels.
Even where local authorities set their criteria at the same level these can be interpreted differently.
As a result, people often feel unsure about whether they are eligible for care and support, and fear that a local change in the threshold will mean losing the care they need. To make access to local authority care and support clearer and more equal across England, and to ensure a minimum level of need which must always be met, we are introducing a national minimum eligibility threshold.
This relates to the eligibility section of the regulations and guidance for implementation of part one of the Care Act in 2015/16.
Programme-funded support
Supporting product: Making an eligibility determination
A resource aimed at all staff involved in eligibility decision-making. The resource will include:
- an at-a-glance guide covering core legal duties, what to consider in practice, links to other resources (SCIE, LGA, Skills for Care, TLAP etc)
- practice examples illustrating situations on the eligibility boundary, situations where eligible needs are met with preventative services and situations where the local authority exercises its power to meet ineligible needs (in order to prevent escalation of needs)
- short film to discuss issues in relation to making eligibility decisions
Provider: SCIE
How to make an eligibility determination for the Care Act 2014
Learning and development resources
Eligibility handout
This handout restates the criteria for use in eligibility determinations and explains through the use of case studies how they may be applied in practice.
Provider: Skills for Care
Eligibility handout
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