Accommodation Section 4 - Accommodation more expensive than usually provided
21.Currently, it is not clear whether people provided with accommodation by local authorities can themselves pay the extra required for them to receive more expensive accommodation than the local authority would usually expect to pay for. It has been accepted practice that a third party (such as a relative) can make up the difference in costs, but the legislation does not clearly grant that right, either to third parties or to individuals receiving care.
22.Section 4 enables regulations to be made to specify how, and in what circumstances, top-up payments can be made, either by third parties or by residents themselves. Restrictions on the right of a resident to make top-up payments may be imposed – these might relate to his or her available resources, to ensure that the arrangement can be sustained and that the resident is not likely to be impoverished as a consequence.