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Appeal social care charges

You can ask for a review of your charges if you or someone acting on your behalf thinks:

  • The charge is too high
  • Information given may have been misinterpreted
  • Some information may have been missed
  • We did not know something about your circumstances which may affect your assessment
  • A mistake may have been made in applying the charging policy
  • You are unhappy with how the charging policy has been applied in your case for some other reason.

Under the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014 if you receive a service from the council for which you are being charged you have the right to ask the council to review these charges at any time if you believe you are being charged is too much.

If you can demonstrate that your means are insufficient for you to reasonably pay the assessed charge it may be reduced and in some cases waived altogether.

However, it is for you, with help if necessary from an adviser, friend or advocate to demonstrate that your means are insufficient to reasonably meet the assessed charge.

The review and appeals process

If you are concerned about your charge, you should contact the Client Finance Team as soon as possible to try to resolve the issue.

Client Finance Team

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the discussion with the Client Finance Team, you can make a request to the council to investigate your circumstances and resolve the matter.

The council will consider reviews or appeals within 28 days of the date of charge notification and only accept at its discretion those received outside this timescale.

Stage one: Informal review

You, or the person acting on your behalf, should first contact Client Finance Team:

A Financial Assessment Officer will look at the calculation of the charge within 14 working days of your form being received and a meeting will be arranged at your home to discuss the assessment with you or your representative.

If your charge needs to be altered or remains the same you will be advised of the outcome within seven working days.

If your charge is found to be incorrect this will be explained to you in writing within seven working days

Stage two: Formal review 

Service users can request a review by completing a simple review form:

These forms can be completed over the phone or downloaded and sent in via post or email. 

Once this form and information to support the review is received, the case will be reviewed within 20 working days. The review will be considered by a senior reviewing officer who will:

  • Review information from the Financial Assessment, ensuring the information is accurate and complete
  • Establish whether the service user has additional factors or information which should be taken into consideration
  • Request the charge to be re-calculated, if appropriate
  • Advise the service user of the review outcome and any changes to the charge, the effective date, and the service user’s right to access the next stage of the process if they are still dissatisfied with the outcome and explanation provided. This advice will be provided in writing and be ready for collection or delivery within 48 hours of the Reviewing Officer’s decision

Stage three: Charges review panel

If you are still unhappy after being reassessed then you should contact the Head of Prevention and Client Services, within 14 days who will arrange for the Charges Review Panel to review the process.

All parties will be invited to give their views.

The panel will be made up of the Head of Service alongside a senior manager from assessment.

The panel will make appropriate recommendations and the service user will be informed of the outcome and any effect on their contribution towards the service charge within 14 days of the panel meeting.

If you are still not happy

If you are not happy that the procedure of appeal has been applied correctly, you can make a formal complaint through Council's complaints procedure.

Contact

If you would like to speak to someone about the appeals process you can contact the Client Finance Team: