How to pay for Adult Social Care

How to pay for Adult Social Care

Pay for your care through our online payment's portal, through online banking, automated telephone payments or by direct debit.

We will send you an invoice

You may need to pay a contribution towards your care and support costs. How much you need to pay will have been calculated when we completed your financial assessment. This amount will have been outlined in the letter we sent you.

If you are required to pay towards your care, we will issue you an invoice outlining how much you have to pay and when. Below is some more information on how to pay your invoice.

If you are assessed as needing to pay the full cost of your care, you will need to do this directly to your care provider (company who provides your care and support).

You can pay in the following ways

Paying for care online

Before you pay you will need

  • invoice number
  • name shown on the invoice
  • a credit or debit card (we accept all cards except American Express)

Pay your invoice online

Paying by a Direct Debit

Paying by Direct Debit is the easiest way to pay your care contribution costs. A Direct Debit is a monthly payment which is automatically taken from your bank account and can be set up online or over the phone.

What information will you need to complete the online form

  • your 9-digit Client ID/Customer Account number given by Worcestershire County Council (shown on your invoice) 
  • your name, address and contact details
  • the name(s) on the account (if more than one signatory is required for your bank account a PDF document is available to print and complete) 
  • your bank account number
  • the branch sort code of your bank or building society (see your debit card or banking app)
  • the name and address of the bank or building society

Set up a Direct Debit payment

If you would like someone to complete this form for you or you require a paper mandate pleas contact Council Finance.

Contact finance

When it’s appropriate to fill in an online Direct Debit form

If you are receiving a monthly care bill and would like to pay by Direct Debit 

Which services can pay by Direct Debit 

This service is only currently available for Adult Social Care services that are billed every month 

How the process works and timescales 

  • complete our online form to instruct your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit
  • you will receive a confirmation you have submitted a form
  • if there are any problems with your form, we will let you know
  • you will be notified of the amounts to be debited at least 10 days before the first payment date
  • if you have any queries about the direct debit scheme contact council finance
  • the payments will be due on the 15th of every month, unfortunately, we cannot vary that date
  • you can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by contacting your bank – you can sometimes do this through online banking

Direct Debit guarantee 

  • the Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits
  • if there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Worcestershire County Council will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Worcestershire County Council to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request
  • if an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by Worcestershire County Council or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society
  • if you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Worcestershire County Council asks you to.
  • you can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society
    • written confirmation may be required
    • please also notify us

Further information

  • if you fail to keep up with repayments or cancel your Direct Debit mandate, you will still be liable to pay any remaining outstanding balance
  • many banks will contact you if a payment has failed, so you have time to put the funds into your account
  • if balances remain unpaid our debt collection team will write to you to notify of any unpaid balances, advising how to make the repayments
  • if no repayment is made, we will refer any outstanding balance to our Legal Team. please contact council finance as soon as possible, if you are having any problems meeting the agreed Direct Debit Payment Schedule

Pay through online banking

You can also pay your care contribution costs by online transfer from your online banking account. 

To do this you will need to set Worcestershire County Council up as a Payee by using the following information: 

  • Sort Code: 20-98-87
  • Account Number: 53583147 

Once you have set us up as a Payee you will need to manually transfer the amount stated on your invoice each month and using your invoice number or customer account number as the reference. 
 

Paying over the phone (automated telephone payments)

You will require your invoice number. Ignore the first two letters of the invoice number and type in just the numbers.

To make a payment over the phone you can call us on 0300 4562206 with your reference and card details to hand. 

Please note this is an automated payment line therefore you will be unable to discuss any queries on this number. 

How often will I receive an invoice?

We invoice in arrears for care contribution charges. Arrears means we are invoicing after the period has passed, not in advance.

Invoices will show the contribution charge per week, some invoices will be for a 4-week period and some a 5-week period. A “charging week” runs from a Saturday to a Friday.

Monthly bills are issued in the pattern of 4-week period, 4-week period, and 5-week period (4,4,5 weeks) in arrears.

What day of the month are invoices issued?

The date of the invoices is usually generated on the third Wednesday of each calendar month and will be posted by the last day of the calendar month.

Can I pay an invoice on behalf of someone else?

Yes, you can if you have the invoice number, amount to pay and credit or debit card details to hand.

What happens if the person paying for care no longer has mental capacity? 

If a person hasn’t received a formal Mental Capacity Assessment, then one would be needed for finance purposes. This would need to be carried out by a GP or social worker. If you would like to request this, please contact us
 

What if there are problems with my invoice?

What do I do if I am having problems paying my invoice?

Please call us on 01905 844543 and select option 1 or email WBU@worcestershire.gov.uk  and provide us with details of the difficulties you are experiencing with paying your invoice. We will then do our best to find a fair and reasonable solution.

What do I do if I think my invoice is incorrect?

Please call us on 01905 844543 and select option 1 or email WBU@worcestershire.gov.uk providing details of the dates and times of care calls you believe to be incorrect so we can investigate and confirm if any amendments are required.

You can also contact your allocated social worker or team to investigate why the care is not being delivered as it may mean that your care package needs to be reviewed.

Are bank holiday homecare calls charged on top of my maximum weekly assessed charge?

Yes, you will pay more on bank holidays if you are on a timetabled service and are not already paying your assessed maximum weekly charge. You will pay more, but only up to your assessed maximum weekly charge. Full charge payers will also pay more for timetabled services received on bank holidays.

Spot purchased homecare services are not affected.

How can I get a copy of an invoice or statement of my account?

Please call us on 01905 844543 and select option 1 or email WBU@worcestershire.gov.uk.

Please be aware that we can only provide copy invoices to the recipient of care or individuals who they have authorised to act on their behalf.

If you need to find out about getting care, get in touch via our Adult Front Door so we can signpost you to relevant services and support.

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