How we check eligibility

If you need some extra support to live a good life, we will listen to you to understand:

• what is important to you
• what might help you to live your life in the way that you want to.

This conversation is sometimes called a needs assessment.

When we have listened to you, and to anyone else you would like us to listen to, we will work out if you have eligible needs for care and support.

If you have eligible needs, this means we must make sure your needs are met.

We follow national rules to work out who has eligible needs.

We have to decide three things.

This is called the eligibility criteria.

Your needs will be eligible if you meet the eligibility criteria.

First, we decide if your need for support is due to a physical or mental impairment or illness.

Then we decide if your needs mean you require support to do two or more of these everyday things:

• Eating and drinking
• Keeping yourself and your clothes clean
• Using the toilet
• Getting dressed
• Getting around your home safely
• Keeping your home clean
• Make and keep relationships with family and friends
• Going to work, training, education, or volunteering
• Getting out and about in your local area
• Caring for any children you have.

Finally, we decide if not being able to do these things has a big impact on your wellbeing.

Wellbeing means that you feel safe and good about your life, and that you can do the things that matter to you.

We will tell you if we think you have eligible needs for care and support.

There is more information about what happens next at Finding the right support