Social care when you move

If you have social care needs relating to your condition, you might be entitled to social care support. This is practical support, so your needs are met.

You might need support whether you are living with family, friends, housemates or on your own. Your needs might change when you move to a new home. For example, you no longer have the same support from family.

You might need social care for:

• help at home from a paid carer
• home adaptations
• disability equipment and assistive technology

You can request a needs assessment to see what support is available. You can let your new local authority know you are moving when you have your new address. They may wait until you have moved to start the process for getting social care.

How to get social care services

If you already have social care, tell your local council and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that you are going to move.

Contact your local council (GOV.UK)

You may need a new care assessment if your home or the adjustments available are different. For example, if your new home does not have a ramp or there are more bedrooms.

The process for moving home to a new local authority is the same when you:

• stay in the same country
• move to another country in the UK

Your new local authority should give you a care assessment. This could be a self-assessment with support from a social worker.

It cannot change your care until you have a new care plan. You have the legal right to the care in your old plan. This right is called the ‘continuity duty’ in the Care Act 2014.

You will also have a new financial assessment.

If your benefits change, this may change the amount you contribute.

Your new care plan may be different. If your new plan does not meet your needs, you should appeal.

It may be helpful to ask for copies of the local authority’s:

• criteria for meeting needs
• financial assessment policies

You may also ask for a copy of your care plan from your previous local authority.

Before you move 

Tell your new and old local authority and social services that you are going to move.

You can ask for a copy of your care plan and records.

Contact your local council (GOV.UK)

You will also need to tell the DWP that you are moving. 

Reporting change of circumstances (GOV.UK) 

Your new local authority must assess you 

You have the legal right to the care in your old plan until your new local authority gives you a care needs assessment. This right is called the ‘continuity duty’ in the Care Act 2014. 

Your care providers could change. For example, your new local authority might change your care worker to someone from a different agency.

Residential care 

In some situations, your old local authority may carry on paying for your residential care. This applies when your old local authority has placed you in a home outside your original area.

For example, your local authority is in Kent, but your social worker believes a home in Essex is better able to meet your needs.

If bills are unpaid, contact your old local authority. They are legally responsible.

If you have decided to move, your new local authority is responsible for paying your care bills. Contact your new local authority if your bills are unpaid as they are legally responsible for them.

You will carry on getting residential care regardless.

Your care plan might change 

Your old local authority must give your new local authority a copy of your old care plan. You can also ask for a copy.

Your new local authority cannot change the care plan until it has done a new care needs assessment.  

If your care plan is reduced, the local authority needs to say why in the new care plan.

You can use Campaign for Real Care’s self assessment toolkit to prepare for your assessment with a social worker.

Getting a social care needs assessment

Challenging your assessment 

Your assessment should look at your needs on your good and bad days.

Your new plan should describe what you need and how your care and support will help you to get it.

If your plan does not meet your outcomes (things you need for your wellbeing), you should appeal.

By law, your local authority must give you a written assessment.

Keep copies of everything you send to your local authority and everything they send you.

If you feel your local authority does not meet your care needs, you can challenge this. Think about:

• what would happen to you on a bad day if you had no support
• the effect on your wellbeing and safety
• how reducing the amount of care will affect you
• what you need to meet the outcomes in your care and support plan

Challenging or complaining about your social care

Financial assessments and costs

Your local authority may require you to pay for some of the care you need. You will pay less when:

• your income is lower
• you spend more on the extra costs of being disabled

Rules on providing receipts vary from area to area. It should include anything not in your care and support plan that you pay for because you are disabled.

Ask for your council’s policy on disability-related spending.

Your assessment should focus on wellbeing in line with the Care Act 2014 (GOV.UK).

Extra costs include specific equipment, like walking frames, and anything else you use more because you are disabled. For example:

• ready meals if your condition means you find it harder to cook
• more heating if you spend more time at home
• using taxis if your condition means you cannot use public transport

Paying for disability equipment and assistive technology 

Help with energy bills 

Disability discounts for travel

Your local authority might not agree that something counts as disability-related expenditure.

If your local authority makes an unfair decision, you can complain. 

Challenging or complaining about your social care

You can contact your local councillor for support.

Find your local councillors

You have the legal right to the care in your old plan until your new local authority gives you a care needs assessment. 

You may need more or different support from your existing social care plan. For example, moving can mean losing support from family and friends who helped with your daily needs. You might not know people in your new area who can help.

You can ask for more social care support as part of your needs assessment. It can take time for this support to be in place.

If you can pay for your own support, you can get a personal assistant, care worker or support worker.

Some charities provide some help at home, but you may need to pay for it.

Get help at home (British Red Cross)

Home help (Age UK)

You can apply for housing to support your social care needs. You may need housing:

• adapted in a way that meets your needs
• with an extra bedroom for an overnight carer

Applying for accessible council and housing association homes

You must always get permission from your housing provider for adaptations. There are different rules about reasonable adjustments for private landlords and local authorities.

Landlords, disabled tenants and adaptations

Getting adaptations through your local authority

Private renting

If you qualify as disabled under the Equality Act 2010, you have the right to 'auxiliary aids'. These are temporary or portable adaptations, like handrails.

You do not have the right to remove or change physical features of your home, although you can still ask about this. For example, changing a bathroom into a wet room.

Make sure you have formal permission confirming you can adapt the property.

You can apply for a grant to help meet the cost of adapting a property. The adaptations must be:

• reasonable
• realistic
• meet the specific needs of the disabled person

Usually, an occupational therapist (OT) will carry out an assessment.

Disability grants for home adaptations

Local authority housing

Your new local authority can try to help you find a home that has already been adapted in a way that meets your needs. You may be able to get a housing grant to cover any necessary adaptations. Local councils usually have an application form you can download or fill in online.

Applying for accessible council and housing association homes

If you need adaptations, some councils and housing associations might ask for an OT assessment. You can ask your local authority for this.

Home adaptations and occupational therapist assessments

Bedrooms in your home

If you are under State Pension age, there are rules about the number of bedrooms your home can have.

The rules apply if you receive either:

• Housing Benefit or
• the housing costs element of Universal Credit

If you need regular care overnight, you may be allowed a room for your carer. There are different rules for social housing and private renting.

Bedroom tax and housing benefits

If you have moved home and are struggling to get the support you need, you can contact your new local authority about your care needs. You can ask for a review of your care plan. You can start by having an informal conversation with your social worker or local authority.

You might find support from an advocate helpful.

Advocates for social care assessments and appeals

You can also speak to our helpline for advice.

Scope helpline