Skip to content
In this section
Share this page

Eligibility criteria for our support

We have a duty to assess an adult who appears to need care and support. You can ask us for an assessment or someone can do this on your behalf. The assessment covers what matters to you and what matters to others, as well as the outcomes you want to achieve.

Our duty to carry out an assessment

Usually, we carry out an assessment before providing support but, if you need care urgently, we may be able to meet your needs without carrying out an assessment.

What is the eligibility criteria?

The Care Act 2014 (link above) introduced a national eligibility criteria. This includes an eligibility framework for adults and a different one for carers.

To decide whether adults with care and support needs meet this threshold, we consider:

  1. if the person's needs come from, or are related to, an impairment or illness
  2. if their needs mean they cannot achieve at least two tasks in their day-to-day life 
  3. as a result, there is a significant impact on their wellbeing.

The tasks we consider:

  1. managing and maintaining nutrition, such as being able to prepare, cook and eat food and drinks
  2. maintaining personal hygiene, such as being able to keep themselves clean, and their clothes as well
  3. managing toilet needs
  4. being able to choose and put on clothes appropriately, such as dressing for the weather
  5. being able to move around the home safely, including being able to enter and leave   
  6. keeping the home clean and safe
  7. being able to develop and maintain family or other personal relationships accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
  8. being able to enjoy facilities or services in the local community including public transport and recreational facilities or services.

We would consider you were unable to meet a task if any of the following applied:

  1. you are unable to achieve the task without assistance, such as help from another person or with reminders
  2. achieving the outcome causes significant pain, distress or anxiety
  3. achieving the outcome puts health or safety at risk, including that of other people
  4. achieving the outcome takes significantly longer than would normally be expected, and may lead to becoming exhausted.