Council and democracy

When charges won't apply

There is no charge for home care, day care or direct payments if:

• you attend a day centre for less than five hours a week, and do not receive home care (including the time it takes your transport to get you to and from your day centre),
• you are assessed as severely mentally ill (this does not include dementia),
• you are in the end stages of a terminal illness,
• you get after-care following a stay in a mental health hospital (called ‘Section 117 after care’), or
• you have less income than the allowance we make for your living expenses.

There is no charge for housing support services if:

• you get housing benefit, in which case we will pay your support charge in full for six months and then review your case,
• you live in 'short-term' accommodation which helps you live independently within two years,
• you get after-care following a stay in a mental health hospital (called ‘Section 117 after care’), or
• you have less income than the allowance we make for your living expenses.