Frequently asked questions

Care fees specialists are qualified independent financial advisers who specialise in advice about paying for long-term care. To give you additional confidence Carewise –approved care fees specialists are:

• accredited by the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA)
• approved by the Trading Standards Buy with Confidence Scheme.
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checked
• trained in safeguarding adults

The care fees specialists are either based in West Sussex or within a 20-mile radius of the county boundary. They are completely independent of West Sussex County Council.

All of the Carewise care fees specialists are qualified independent financial advisers, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Further more they are also specialists in care fees planning.  All of the care fees specialists are accredited by the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) and this means they have undergone further training in all areas of later life financial planning.

Find out more about the individual credentials and experience of the Carewise care fees specialists. 

Most people receive their free consultations over the telephone. You can discuss what is best for you with the adviser.  

There will be a discussion about your current situation, what you would like to achieve, your assets, income and your outgoings.

It would be helpful if you are able to have information to hand relating to Power of Attorney, care fees, assets, income, out-goings etc. Don’t worry if you are not able to find all this information. 

The adviser will also explain your available options and outline the next steps, including the cost of any future advice.

Yes. Whether you receive advice from a care fees specialist or the money advice service at Age UK West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, this will always be on an impartial basis.

All care fees specialists are qualified independent financial advisers who will make professional recommendations based on your situation.

Your first consultation will be free of charge. 

After that, the adviser will clearly explain their charges for any future advice. The cost of this will vary depending on how you would like the adviser to help you.

If a relative would like you to act on their behalf, including on financial matters, they will need to appoint you as a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) - you can find out more in Things you need to know about paying for care.

If there is no LPA in place,  you can still have your free consultation with a care fees specialist, however, they will not be able to go into detail about the person's finances and the options available. The care fees specialist will be able to advise in general terms about the things you need to consider.

Yes. A care fees specialist can review your mother’s current funding arrangements to see if there are any other options available to you which would maximise the value of her finances.

The care fees specialist can also advise on other areas such as estate planning, inheritance tax, or legal and tax issues.

Funding any future care will probably be one of the most expensive financial decisions you will make, so it makes sense to seek independent financial advice and plan ahead.

By being financially astute now, you can ensure that you have control over any future care, and have peace of mind about how you will fund it.

You can also read more about the practical steps you can take to start thinking about how you'll fund your future care.  

If you don't own a property or have assets of £100,000 or over, you can still take advantage of the money advice service from Age UK West Sussex, Brighton and Hove.

They can help by seeing if you are entitled to any benefits and also advise you on a range of topics including pensions, budgeting and debt.