12. What if my move into a home is temporary?

You may only need to go into a home temporarily - perhaps for a short-term break, while you get over an illness, or while you're waiting for a place in sheltered housing. Your assessment should show whether your stay is a temporary or permanent one.

You should not be charged anything for a short-term stay that is part of 'intermediate care'. There may be charges to pay for other temporary stays, but the rules for working out how much you pay towards them allow for the fact that you will still have your own home to keep up. Any charge must be 'reasonable'.

If you are only going to be in the home for a short time, the council does not have to do a 'means test' (a test to see if you are able to get financial help) for the first eight weeks of a stay.

If you are means tested for a temporary stay, the council looks at your income and savings in the same way it does if you are staying permanently. However, there are some important conditions relating to how they do this.

The value of your home cannot be included if you plan to go back and live there after your stay, or if you are trying to sell it to buy somewhere that will better suit your future needs.

Certain parts of your income won't be taken into account. For example, Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance are not counted, and nor are any benefits that you get to help towards your housing costs (for example, Housing Benefit or Income Support housing costs).

The council must take into account bills that you still have to pay for your home (for example, water rates and home insurance).

You may be able to get Minimum Income Guarantee (Income Support) or Pension Credit to help you pay any fees while you are temporarily in a home. The rules are different to those for permanent residents.

You will be treated as if you were still living in your own home, so the 'at home' rules apply. For example, if you have more than £8000 (or £12,000 if you are over 60), you won't be able to get Income Support. (The introduction of Pension Credit will change the savings rules for those over 65).

The value of your home is not counted in your capital for a temporary stay.

You are not assessed separately from your husband or wife or partner. So how much capital and income you have between you will be considered in deciding whether you are entitled to any benefits.