Extra care housing for over-55s and adults with disabilities

Extra care housing offers communal facilities and care, mixed with the independence of living in your own flat. 

Who the service is for 

• These flats suit older people who want to keep their independence and avoid having to go into residential care or hospital.

• It can also be an alternative to residential care where a couple want to continue to live together and one person has a care need. 

• You can only get this level of housing if you have had a social care assessment.

• If you live in extra care, you can access on-site care and support according to your individually-assessed needs.

The flats

Each flat contains its own bathroom, kitchen and living room. There are also communal lounges and restaurant and café facilities for social activities.

Types of flat available 

There are one-bed and two-bed extra care flats across four schemes available in the borough.

A further two extra care housing schemes are being developed. 

Costs

There are four different elements to the overall cost of living in extra care housing:

• the cost of renting your home and your usual household bills
• a housing service charge to maintain the shared communal facilities
• a charge for support services and the emergency alarm call system
• any additional charges for the individual care you may need

Benefits and exemptions

You will have a financial assessment to determine how much you need to pay. The assessment will look at your savings and assets.

You may qualify for:

• housing benefit or income support 
• exemption from council tax.

Applying for extra care housing

If you think you might be eligible for this type of care, take the adult social care self-assessment.