When someone needs care, be that in their own home or in a residential setting, it is important that their needs are assessed to ensure they are receiving the right sort of care. It is also important that all of the relevant benefits they are entitled to are also received. Care fees are very expensive and there has been a great deal of publicity about that. So, it is important to look at how the care will be paid for. NHS Continuing Care funding is paid directly by the NHS and is non-means tested. It is awarded if the individual has suitably complex nursing needs which are assessed by looking at a number of domains such as behaviour, mobility etc
It is possible to make a claim for NHS Continuing Care funding retrospectively even if the person has since died.
The Department of Health made an announcement in March 2012 introducing deadlines for retrospective claims for NHS Continuing Care funding.
If an individual has received care that was paid for between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012 and you think they would have been entitled to NHS Continuing Care funding had they been assessed – you have until the 31 March 2013 to notify the PCT that an assessment should have taken place. After that date the PCT will not, unless there are exceptional circumstances, carry out an assessment.
If you require any further assistance please contact Elizabeth Power, (t) 02380482206, Elizabeth.Power@parissmith.co.uk