If you choose to arrange your own care privately you will have to pay the full cost of your services.

England and Wales
If you live in England or Wales, you will probably have to pay something towards your services. You should be able to get a leaflet from social services which gives details of your local authority's charging policy; or ask the person assessing you for details.

Although each local authority sets its own charging policy, there are national guidelines that they should follow when they are working out how much you should pay. For example:

• Whatever charges you pay should not bring your income below a certain amount (the basic level of Pension Credit guarantee credit plus 25 per cent).
• If you live in England, you shouldn't be charged for any community care equipment, or for adaptations which cost less than £1,000.

Any charge must be 'reasonable'. If you feel it is not unreasonable and is causing you hardship, you can make a complaint to the local authority. If you feel unable to pay the charges, your services should not be withdrawn. But the local authority could take action against you for an unpaid debt.

The rules are too complex to go into in any detail here. But if you would like further advice on your personal situation, call SeniorLine.

Northern Ireland
If you live in Northern Ireland and are aged 75 and over, you should not be charged for 'home help' services. The home help service includes:

• basic household tasks - for example, preparing and cooking food and shopping; and
• some personal and social care duties - for example, help with washing, dressing and going to the toilet.

If you are under 75 years old, your finances will be assessed by your local authority to see how much you should contribute.

No-one should be charged for community care equipment, but you may be asked to contribute to the cost of adaptations, depending on your financial situation.

Scotland
If you are 65 or over and live in Scotland, you will not have to pay for personal care services provided by your local authority. However, you may have to pay for services such as cleaning and general home help. Your local authority should provide you with information on their charging policy.

Personal care includes:

• help with washing, bathing and dressing;
• help with managing continence, including using continence equipment such as catheters and stomas;
• assistance with eating, managing special diets and preparing specialist meals such as pureed food;
• help to move around indoors; and
• help with simple treatments such as applying creams, lotions and dressings.