Many are scrambling to ensure that they meet the deadlines for claiming back care fees. If you are not sure that you are eligible to file a claim, you need to better understand how refund status is determined. It is actually the responsibility of the NHS to determine who is and is not eligible for continuing care.

If your assessment was not correct and you paid for fees yourself, you may be entitled to a refund of those fees but you have to ensure that you file your claim before the appropriate deadline.

Know the Deadlines

The deadline for filing a claim was 30 September, 2012 for those who paid for care between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2011. You have to have already begun your claim process by this date in order to be eligible to receive your fees back. There is no deadline to complete the process but beginning it should have already been done.

If you received care between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012 however, you have until 31 March, 2013 to begin the claims process.

These deadlines were enacted by the Department of Health because they believe that as more and more time passes it will become too difficult to assess claimants. These dates are only for England. If you received care in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, the laws are different so you will need to check in your area for information about reclaiming.

Who Can File?

If you were the one who received care then you can file your own claim. If you are a caregiver or relative then you can also file a claim but the patient will be required to give you full consent to claim on their behalf. If you were never assessed or you feel that your assessment was not done properly then you can challenge that assessment to see if you may be eligible for a refund.

What to Do

There are a few steps that you will need to take when reclaiming your fees.

1. Contact the NHS – You will need a preliminary assessment to see if the NHS feels you will qualify.
2. Go Through the Checklist – The NHS will have a checklist that they will go through with you to see if you qualify for a full assessment.
3. If you are refused, you should be given a reason for this refusal and a copy of the checklist which you will need if you file an appeal.
4. If you are refused you have every right to request reconsideration, and if you cannot get satisfaction you can always make an official complaint with the NHS.

Summary

Paying fees that you do not have to pay can be very frustrating. Claiming back those fees may seem like a long and complicated process but if you qualify then you are entitled to receiving those fees back. Make sure that you are filing your claim within the appropriate deadlines and that you produce any required documentation when reclaiming your fees.

This article was provided by Cheselden Continuing Care, the leading review specialists of care home fees in the UK. Visit them at Cheselden.co.uk to learn more.