Am I Entitled to a Care Needs Assessment in Wales?

Who this guide is for

Adults in Wales who need help to manage day to day because of illness, disability or age, and the family members or friends who care for them. It covers the right to a care needs assessment from the council, carers' assessments, paying for care and how to complain. The law is the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.

What this guide does not cover

• England, Scotland or Northern Ireland: the law is different. Read the guide for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland.
• Care for a child, including a disabled child. This guide does not cover it: ask the council children's services.
• Care paid for in full by the NHS because your needs are mainly health needs. This guide does not cover it: ask the NHS or your GP.
• Benefits such as Attendance Allowance, PIP and Carer's Allowance: see our benefits guide.
• Managing someone's money or decisions for them (power of attorney): see our power of attorney guide.
• The eligibility rules in detail, direct payments, and the detail of the financial assessment. This guide does not cover them: ask the council or Citizens Advice.

What the rules depend on

1. Is the person 18 or over and living in Wales? If under 18, it is a matter for children's services. If they live in another nation, a different law applies.
2. Does it look as if they may need care and support? If yes, the council must assess them.
3. Is the care at home or in a care home? The money rules are different.
4. How much capital does the person have, not counting their home? That decides what they may pay.

"Can I get a care needs assessment?"

Under section 19 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 the council must assess any adult who may need care and support, whatever it thinks about the level of those needs or the person's money.

The assessment must look at the outcomes you want to achieve day to day and whether care and support, preventative services or information and advice could help. The council must involve you and, where it can, any carer you have.

After the assessment the council decides what help, if any, it will provide.

"I look after someone"

Under section 24 of the Act the council must assess a carer who may need support, whatever it thinks about the level of the carer's needs or the money of the carer or the person cared for.

The carer's assessment looks at whether you are able and willing to carry on caring, and the outcomes you want to achieve.

"Will I have to pay?"

The council can charge for care and support. To decide how much, it must carry out a financial assessment. You can ask for a review of any charge you think is wrong.

If you get care at home, the most the council can charge you is £100 a week. You may have to pay up to that amount if you have a high disposable income, or savings and investments over £24,000 not counting the value of your home. The council must let you keep a set amount for your daily living costs.

In a care home, if your capital is over £50,000 you may have to pay the full cost. If it is at or below that limit, the council helps pay, and what you pay is worked out from your income, such as pensions and benefits. You keep at least £46.35 a week for your own spending (from 6 April 2026).

When you move permanently into a care home, the value of your home is ignored for the first 12 weeks. After that the council may let you defer what you owe against your home, to be repaid when the home is sold or you leave the care home. Your home is not counted at all while your partner, a relative who is 60 or over or incapacitated, or your child under 18 still lives there, if they lived there before you went into the care home. The council can choose to ignore it in other cases too.

"The council refused, is delaying, or I disagree"

Complain to the council first, using its social services complaints procedure.

If you are still unhappy, you can go to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. This guide does not cover its time limits: ask the Ombudsman.

Deadlines

• Complaints: this guide does not cover the time limits in Wales: ask the council or the Ombudsman.
• A permanent move into a care home: the first 12 weeks are the time to decide about your home.

Traps

• Using England's two capital limits: Wales has its own rules.
• Thinking care at home can cost any amount: the weekly maximum applies however much capital you have.
• Being told you have too much money to be assessed: the assessment does not depend on money.