Commentary on Sections Imposing charges and assessing financial resources Section 17 – Assessment of financial resources
134.This section requires a local authority to carry out a financial assessment if they have chosen to charge for a particular service under the power in section 14. This is in order to determine the individual’s contribution towards the cost of the care and support that they require. The rules about how a financial assessment is conducted ensure that such assessments are carried out on a consistent basis.
135.Subsections (7) to (13) allow regulations to set rules in relation to financial assessment, including setting the maximum amount of financial resource an adult may have, above which a local authority will not contribute towards an individual’s care and support costs, and daily living costs. These provisions replace those in section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948.
136.The regulations may set rules where the local authority need not carry out a full financial assessment and whether, in these circumstances, the individual needing care and support is entitled to local authority support. This would allow for less detailed financial assessments to be carried out in some situations, and could enable the local authority to meet the needs of people who do not wish to have a full financial assessment, if the authority considers this necessary.