Social services Paying for social care and support

Residential Care Top Ups

If you have a Council funded placement and choose a care home placement that is more expensive than the assessed cost of your care set in your personal budget, then a ‘Top-Up’ payment may be needed for the duration of your residence in the care home. Paying a Top-Up fee could increase your choice of accommodation.

The Top-Up payment is either payable by a Third Party or by yourself as a First Party Top Up which is only allowed in certain circumstances.

A Top-Up is an additional payment:

  • For an individual who chooses a care placement commissioned by Manchester City Council that is more expensive than the care home fee rate set in their personal budget.
  • That is usually paid by a friend or relative who will need to provide evidence that they have the means to fund the Top-Up. This is called a “Third Party Top-Up.”

Not all care homes charge Top-Up fees. For more information, please read the Residential Care Top Up Policy.

In certain circumstances, and subject to affordability, you can pay a Top-Up payment yourself. This is called a 'First Party Top-Up'. These can be put in place when:

  • You are subject to a 12 week property disregard
  • You have a deferred payment agreement in place with the Council
  • Where you are receiving accommodation provided under Section 117 for mental health aftercare

What it can pay for

When your Care Assessor helps you choose a care home, they will give you a list of accommodation that meets your care needs. Some options will be more expensive than others.

You might want to use a Third Party Top-Up to pay for more expensive accommodation that:

  • is near family or friends
  • has a room that is larger or has a nicer view
  • is where you feel most comfortable

This could be for:

  • a permanent or long term move to a care home
  • a temporary stay in a care home after leaving hospital
  • if you are temporarily in a more expensive care home while waiting for another one to become available, but you decide you want to stay where you are