Guidance on choosing accommodation and additional payments - The amount to be paid and frequency of payments
- The amount of the ‘top-up’ should be the difference between the actual costs of the preferred provider and the amount that the local authority would have set in a personal budget or local mental health after-care limit to meet the person’s eligible needs by arranging or providing accommodation of the same type. When considering the cost of care in its area, the local authority is likely to identify a range of costs which apply to different circumstances and settings. For the purposes of agreeing a ‘top-up’ fee the local authority must consider what personal budget it would have set at the time care and support is needed. It should not automatically default to the cheapest rate or to any other arbitrary figure.
- In agreeing any ‘top-up’ arrangement, the local authority must clearly set out how often such payments need to be made, for example, on a weekly or monthly basis.