The Long-Term Care Scheme (LTC)

(A scheme to support people with high-level, long-term care needs)

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE SCHEME. YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL SITUATION AND CARE NEEDS WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE CHARGES AND BENEFITS. THESE NOTES ARE FOR GUIDANCE ONLY.

Some General Notes

  • Most people find this really complicated but works well for them once set up.
  • Help negotiating the financial side of this is available from the specialist LTC scheme team at Social Security, from the person who does your LTC assessment and Jersey Alzheimer’s Assoc. can offer some assistance.
  • This is a new scheme so do not rely on information which may now be out of date.
  1. Residency Requirements:
  • 10 years continuous residency as an adult, including a year before claiming.
  • Under 28s, ten years at any age
  • Someone with high level care needs since birth who has lived here all their life moves to the LTC at age 18.
  1. Key Details:
  • Operating since July 2014
  • Covers care at home or in a residential/nursing home
  • The scheme takes into account the level of care needs, income (including pensions), savings and other assets and the value of your home (joint if you have a partner).
  1. What does High-Level Care Needs mean?
  • A person needs substantial help with daily activities.
  • The person is expected to need this level (or more) for the rest of their life.
  • Care needs are assessed by a health care professional.
  • Care needs are rated between 1-4 (if above level 4 some extra funding may be considered).
  • (If care level is assessed below level 1 then Income Support may be available from the personal care component.)
  1. What this Involves:
  • An assessment will be done by a health care professional which should also include a carers’ assessment of need for respite etc. (This is not the same as an assessment for Carer’s Allowance which is only available to people under retirement age who have to give up work to care for a relative.)
  • The assessment automatically generates acare level and estimate of care costs, which varies with the care level.
  • This figure is sent to Social Security who then send out forms to be filled in by the person requiring care, or a relative appointed to do this. This requires a lot of financial information including the value of your home if you own one, any other assets, investments and income. (If you do not want to supply this information because you know you have assets over £419K you do not have to supply any financial information, but should join the scheme so that when you have reached the £52K care cap you will be able to receive payments towards the standard care costs.)
  • Once Social Security have all your financial information you will be told how much you will need to pay towards the cost of care, if anything, which is worked out by what your financial assets are and your income.
  • When the care cap has been paid (or if you are assessed as not having to pay towards care at all) you will receive notification from Social Security of how much you will be given to cover the cost of care. This amount can be paid to you or directly to the care provider.
  1. What The Person Requiring Care Will Have to Pay:
  • No matter what your assets are,you will not need to pay more than £52,120 (£78,180 for a couple) in standard care costs over your lifetime of care, at home and/or in a care home. This is called the care cap.
  • If you have under £419K of assets including your home, you may not have to pay anything towards your standard care costs, but if you live in a care home you will be expected to pay your co-payment (a charge for living costs of about £330 pw) and additional care home costs from your income, if you can afford this.
  • Only the standard care costs of your assessed level of care are used to work out when you reach the care cap of £52K. If you live in a care home this means that when you reach the care cap you will still need to pay additional costs charged by some care homes and the standard co-payment (about £330pw). If you cannot afford this from your income, help is available from the scheme.
  • If your income is small, for example, you only have a small pension, this will be used to meet some of the costs, and scheme pays the extra costs. You will be given approx. £34pw for small personal expenses.
  • If a person is cared for at home their care needs will also be assessed at a level within a range 1-4. Each level has an associated budget.If a person has over £419K of assets they will have to pay for this care themselves until they have reached the care cap of £52K, but when the care cap is reached the cost of this care will be covered by the scheme.
  1. Some Other Details:
  • If the person owns their own home they should not have to sell this to pay for care. Loans are available through this scheme to cover the £52K, if people need to pay this. This only needs to be repaid after a person dies and the home is sold.
  • People cannot ‘dispose’ of their homes or other assets, or gift them to a relative to get out of having to pay. They will be assessed as though they still owned the property/other assets.
  • This scheme is for care in residential/nursing homes and for care you have in your own home, the costs of which can count towards your care cap of £52K.
  • Care in a care home is made up of 3 costs; the cost of care, the co-payment (which is a charge for your living costs like food and laundry etc. which is about £330 pw); and any extra costs certain care homes charge. Only the cost of the care(not the co-payment or extra charges added on by some care homes) acts towards the care cap of £52K.
  • If someone is cared for at home there is just the one cost, the care cost, and no co-payment or extra care payments charged by some care homes.
  • Respite care is factored into the care needs assessment and has to come out of the care level budget from the LTC scheme.
  1. How to Apply For the LTC scheme:
  • Contact your care co-ordinator or doctor to discuss this, or
  • Contact the Health and Social Services SPOR team on 444440 or email
  • They will arrange for an assessment of care needs to be done.
  • The health care professional who does the assessment will send your details to Social Security
  • Social Securitywill request general and financial information from you.
  • An agent (e.g. a family member) can act on the person’s behalf.
  • A letter will be sent to you to explain what you have to pay or/and how much you will receive towards care from the scheme.
  • A review will be done at least annually as care and/or financial circumstances change.
  • For finance related enquiries contact the Social Security Long Term Care Team (not general enquiries) on 445505 or email
  1. Help from Jersey Alzheimer’s Association:
  • We know that this scheme is complicated to understand but now have experience of seeing many people work through this process and who are now in receipt of care financed by this scheme.
  • Sian Wareing-Jones (our Counsellor and Family Support Co-ordinator) is available to help you understand this process, so please do call or email her to chat through any worries you may have. She is available on

07797 907753

Notes updated 09.04.2016