Eligibility criteria

National eligibility criteria for adults with care and support needs is based on identifying how a person’s needs affect their ability to achieve relevant outcomes, and how this impacts on their wellbeing.

We use the following criteria to work out whether you are eligible:

  1. Do your needs arise from a physical or mental impairment or illness?
  2. Do these needs mean you are unable to achieve two or more of the outcomes below?
  3. As a result of being unable to meet these outcomes, there is likely to be a significant impact on your wellbeing.

Questions we consider

  • Do you have access to food and drink to maintain nutrition and are you able to prepare and eat food and drink?
  • Can you wash yourself and launder your clothes?
  • Can you use the toilet and manage your own toilet needs?
  • Can you dress yourself, and dress appropriately for example during cold weather?
  • Can you move around the home safely, including accessing  your home from outside
  • Can you keep your home sufficiently clean and safe?
  • Do your needs prevent you from maintaining or developing relationships with family and friends?
  • Do you feel lonely or isolated?
  • Are you able to get around in the community safely and able to use facilities or services such as public transport, shops and recreational facilities?
  • Do you need support when attending health care appointments?
  • Do you have any parenting or other caring responsibilities e.g. as a parent, step-parent or grandparent?

You are regarded as being unable to achieve an outcome if you are:

  • unable to achieve it without assistance
  • able to achieve it without assistance but doing so causes the you significant pain, distress or anxiety
  • able to achieve it without assistance but doing so endangers or is likely to endanger your health or safety, or of others
  • able to achieve it without assistance but takes significantly longer than would normally be expected

If after reading the criteria above you think you meet our eligibility criteria you will probably get our care support, but you will need an assessment first.

If you are not eligible for our care and support, we will still provide you with information and advice, signposting you to other sources of help to support your wellbeing and help you remain independent.

If you think adult social care could support you, a family member or friend you can complete our referral form.