Describe your social care or foster care situation and get instant plain English guidance on your rights — NHS continuing healthcare, direct payments, carer assessments and more. Checked against official sources.
↓ Try the Checker NowLocal authorities must carry out a needs assessment for anyone who appears to need care and support — regardless of their finances. The assessment must be person-centred and consider wellbeing outcomes.
Adults with eligible needs may receive Direct Payments to arrange their own care. Care home fees are means-tested — you contribute fully above £23,250 in savings and the council pays below £14,250 (England, 2025/26).
Key areas covered: care needs assessment, direct payments, NHS continuing healthcare, carer assessment, care home fees, charging. Checked against official sources.
Once needs are formally assessed as eligible, the resulting care plan must actually address them — councils have flexibility in how needs are met, but can't use cost alone as justification for a plan that genuinely fails to meet an eligible need identified in the assessment.
A reduction to your direct payments should only follow a genuine reassessment showing your eligible needs have actually changed — proper consultation before any significant change is expected, and a lack of this is itself a valid ground for challenge, separate from disputing the substance of the reduction.
This checker gives you a plain English read on your specific situation, answered only from its own guide for your part of the UK, checked against official sources. No login needed, and your answer is generated instantly based on what you tell us.
Our guidance covers many common situations, but complex or high-stakes cases need professional advice. Official information: GOV.UK (England), GOV.WALES (Wales), mygov.scot (Scotland) and nidirect (Northern Ireland). For free help, contact Citizens Advice (England 0800 144 8848, Wales 0800 702 2020), Citizens Advice Scotland (0800 028 1456) or Advice NI (0800 915 4604), or speak to a solicitor.
Free to use: Run any checker, read your full results and download them as a printable report — no account needed.
Describe your situation and we'll check your rights in social care
Tip: Include whether you are a carer, the person receiving care, or a foster carer, and describe the specific issue — challenging a decision, requesting an assessment, or a funding dispute.
Include which nation you live in, who needs care and their age, what help they need, whether it is about an assessment, a carer, paying for care or a care home, and what the council or Trust has said or done.
Free · Guidance only, not legal advice
Do I have a right to a carer's assessment?
Yes. In England, under the Care Act 2014, anyone who provides or intends to provide care for an adult has the right to a carer's assessment from their local council, regardless of the level of care they provide or their financial situation.
What is NHS Continuing Healthcare?
NHS Continuing Healthcare is a package of ongoing care arranged and funded by the NHS for adults with complex health needs. It is free of charge, unlike social care funded by councils which is means-tested. You have the right to request a review if refused.
Can I challenge a local council care decision?
Yes. If you disagree with a care assessment or funding decision, you can raise a formal complaint with the council. If unresolved, you can escalate to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
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The checker answers only from the guide for the nation you choose, plus what you tell it. If your question is not covered there, it says so instead of guessing. Each guide was checked against primary sources on 25 September 2026.
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Directed and published by Matt Thompson, founder of UK Work Rights. Guidance checked against GOV.UK, ACAS and legislation.gov.uk. This is general rights guidance, not legal advice.
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