If you reach a time when you will need help with basic daily activities for the rest of your life, you may be able to claim support from the long-term care fund (LTC fund).
To qualify, you must:
- have lived in Jersey:
- either for ten years immediately before you apply, or
- lived in Jersey for ten years continuously as an adult in the past and for another year immediately before applying
- be an adult aged 18 or over
- have had your level of care assessed as being above a minimum level
General long-term care information booklet
Contact the long-term care team
Long-term care needs
You will be covered by the scheme if you need substantial help with your daily activities such as washing and dressing.
You will be assessed on the kind and amount of care you need. The Long-term Care scheme has set four main levels of care, and your LTC benefit rate will depend on your assessed care level.
Long-term care scheme if you are staying in your own home
If you have care needs which would justify you going into a care home, but you would rather stay in your own home, you can use the benefit to pay for a care package from an approved provider.
Long-term care approved providers
The States has established an approved provider framework (APF) for home care services. These providers have demonstrated that they have the appropriate skills and experience to provide quality, safe and effective home care support. Details of the approved providers can be found on the Jersey Online Directory.
Approved home care providers on the Jersey Online Directory website
Long-term care approved care homes
Care homes are already registered by Health and Community Services. All regulated and HSS care homes are covered by the long-term care scheme.
Costs covered by the long-term care scheme
Whether you are in a care home or your own home, when you start receiving long-term care you must pay your weekly LTC benefit rate yourself. You will build up care costs until they reach a 'care costs cap' of £60,160, at which point you will stop paying and the LTC fund will start paying your LTC benefit at the same rate.
The maximum that a couple will pay in care costs is £90,240, even if they receive long-term care at different times, which are several years apart.
The length of time it will take to reach the care costs cap will depend on the benefit rate for your level of care. It is likely to take just over a year to reach the cap at the highest level of care and up to three years at the lowest.
If you don't have enough money to pay for care up to your care costs cap, you can apply for means-tested help. If your main asset is your own home, you can apply for an LTC property loan.
Other costs for people living in a care home
Care home fees include the cost of:
- providing care, and
- living in the care home (referred to as the co-payment)
The LTC scheme will pay for the cost of providing care after you have reached the
£60,160 cap for a single person, or
£90,240 cap for a couple.
The cost of living in the care home (the co-payment) is a minimum of
£361.20 a week, but could be more depending on your choice of home and any extra services or facilities you receive as charges differ between care homes.
Your co-payment does not count towards the care costs cap, and you are expected to pay it yourself, although support is available if you are unable to afford the co-payment.
Other costs for people receiving care in their own home
If you are receiving care in your own home, you will meet your own domestic costs anyway, and will not make a co-payment.
What if I am struggling to meet these costs?
There are two ways to get extra support from the LTC fund:
- LTC support
- LTC property loan
Both are available to people who are receiving care in a care home or in their own home.
LTC support
If your total assets are worth less than £419,000, you can get LTC support with both your care costs and the minimum co-payment of
£361.20 per week. You will be expected to pay your weekly income towards these costs and the LTC fund will make up the difference.
Your assets include savings and investments and, if you own your own home, the value of your home. If you have a partner, we will consider the income and assets of both of you.
Property loans
An LTC property loan is a loan secured against the value of your property which is repayable when your property next changes hands.
If your total assets are worth more than £419,000 you may be able to apply for a property loan to help you with both your care costs and the co-payment. The loan can cover the minimum co-payment or a co-payment at a higher value. You will be expected to pay your weekly income towards these costs and the LTC property loan will make up the difference.
If the property loan increases so that your net assets fall to £419,000, at that point you can also apply for LTC support with your care costs and the minimum co-payment cost of
£349.65 per week. You can continue to use your loan to support any additional costs of your co-payment.
Property loans information booklet
gov.je