What happens to care funding when savings run out?

When savings fall below the upper capital threshold, the council has a duty to carry out a financial assessment and contribute towards care costs. You need to request a care needs assessment and a financial assessment — the council will then decide what it will contribute. If the person is already in a care home, the council must fund a suitable place, but it does not have to be the same home if that home charges more than the council's standard rate. A top-up arrangement can allow someone to stay if a family member covers the difference. The key mistake families make is waiting too long — contact the council when savings reach around £130,000, not when they are nearly gone.