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Deferred payments for care and support

If you have more than £23,250 in capital and need to pay for your care, but can't access your capital, for example if it's tied up in property you own, then a deferred payment agreement might be the right option for you.

The deferred payment scheme is is available to people who do not want to sell their home as well as those who cannot sell it quickly enough to release the money to pay for their residential or nursing home care fees.

We would temporarily pay some of your residential or nursing home fees. We will pay the residential or nursing home the amount we have agreed with them. We will then collect a weekly contribution from you, based on our assessment of what you can afford. The balance will accrue as a debt and be paid when your former home is sold or when the agreement ends. To secure the debt we will place a legal charge on your property, which is similar to a mortgage.

The cost of the residential or nursing home must be agreed by us and eligibility for the scheme will be based on various factors, including the cost of your care and the amount of equity in your property.

To be considered for deferred payments

  • You must have less than £23,250 in capital, such as savings and investments apart from your former home.
  • You must have a legal or beneficial interest in a property which is your main or only home.
  • We must be able to place a legal charge on your former home in order to secure the debt. In very exceptional cases we may consider other forms of security.
  • The cost of the care home has been agreed by us.
  • The person applying for deferred payment must have legal authority to do so if the resident lacks mental capacity.

Do not assume you will qualify for this scheme until we have confirmed this. If you meet the criteria, we may be able to set up a deferred payment agreement with you. During this agreement you may need to pay a contribution towards the cost of your care from your weekly income, and any other assets.

If you would like more information, contact us. If we agree to you receiving deferred payment you should get independent financial advice before the arrangements are finalised.

For full details, read our deferred payments factsheet (PDF, 670.6 KB)