Eligibility and criteria for care and support
This page has information on the following:
Once your needs assessment has been completed, we have to make a decision about whether we will provide or arrange services for you. This is done by applying eligibility criteria to see if you qualify for help to meet your needs.
National eligibility criteria is issued under the Care Act 2014. It is applied to determine whether you are eligible for local authority care and support to meet your assessed needs.
If you wish, you can print out the document below from the government's website for the full details:
Am I eligible for care? Back to top
Three questions will be asked to determine eligibility.
If I am eligible, what happens next?
We will ask you to have a financial assessment. It will see how much your care and support will cost and how much you may have to contribute.
You may want to check ahead of this financial assessment if you are likely to have to pay towards any care services you receive through Staffordshire County Council. You can use our financial eligibility checker to do this.
We will then work with you to develop a care and support plan. This sets out how your needs can be best met.
What if I am not eligible?
We can still help you by giving further information and advice about:
If your needs change again in the future and you need further support, you can always ask for further guidance. You can also request another care and support needs assessment should you need it.
The following questions are used to work out whether you are eligible for care and support:
- do your needs arise from a physical or mental impairment or illness?
- do these needs mean you are unable to achieve two or more of the outcomes below?
- as a result of this, is there likely to be a significant impact on your wellbeing?
You must meet all three of the criteria stated above to be eligible.
What outcomes do you consider as part of the criteria?
The following are considered:
- do you have access to food and drink to maintain nutrition, and are you able to prepare and consume food and drink?
- can you wash yourself and launder your clothes?
- can you use the toilet and manage your own toilet needs?
- can you dress yourself and dress appropriately such as during cold weather?
- can you move around your home safely? This includes your immediate environment e.g. access and steps to the home.
- can you keep your home clean and safe?
- do you feel lonely or isolated, and are you unable to maintain or develop relationships with family and friends?
- do you have the opportunity and/or wish to apply and contribute to society through work, training, education or volunteering?
- are you able to get around in the community safely? Can you use facilities or services such as public transport, shops and recreational facilities?
- do you have any parenting or other caring responsibilities e.g. as a parent, step-parent or grandparent?
How do I know if I am unable to meet an outcome?
This would be if you are:
- unable to achieve an outcome without assistance
- able to achieve it without assistance but doing so causes you significant pain, distress or anxiety
- able to achieve it without assistance but doing so endangers or is likely to endanger your health or safety, or that of others
- able to achieve it without assistance but take significantly longer than would normally be expected
Following your care and support needs assessment you will be given a written copy of it. This will say if you are eligible for us to meet your needs.
What if I'm not happy with the decision? Back to top
If you'd like to appeal our eligibility decision please see our customer feedback and complaints page.
What if I need help to appeal?
An independent advocate may be able to help you.
If you need any further advice, please contact our Staffordshire Cares team.