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CARING FOR SOMEONE

Shared lives carers

"I'd like to provide a home for an adult who needs care and support."

Payments and benefits

You’ll receive a fixed payment for the services you offer as a shared lives carer. Other benefits may also be available to you.

What you will earn

The amount you’ll receive as a shared lives carer depends on the:

  • level of support you provide
  • needs of the adult.

Long term carers

As a long term carer, each month you’ll receive:

  • a care and support payment (from East Riding of Yorkshire Council)
  • rent (normally from housing benefit)
  • household expenses, such as food and utility bills (paid for by the person you support).

Short term carers

As a short term carer, you receive a flat rate for each night the person stays with you. This covers the care and support you provide, room rent and any household expenses.

  • Step 1 - Register as self employed

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    As shared lives carers are not employees of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, to receive your support payment, you must register as self employed. You can find out how to set up as self employed on the GOV.UK website.

  • Your details

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    We’ll ask you to provide:

    • proof that you are self employed

    • details of the account where you would like to receive your pay

  • Step 3 - Your payment

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    We’ll pay you every 28 days for the regular support you provide. This is by bank transfer (BACS).

    If there have been any changes to the usual care you provide, we’ll need a record of those changes before we can make any payments to you. We’ll send you a form to complete, sign and return.

    On receipt your payment will be processed.

Other benefits

You also:

  • automatically qualify for free East Riding of Yorkshire public liability insurance (subject to you working to our policies)
  • have an allowance of 4 weeks to take breaks (sometimes more depending on the support needs of the person you are caring for). This means we’ll arrange and pay for care suitable for the person you are caring for. Your payment will be reduced to the rent only amount during this time - this is because the bedroom of the person you care for remains available to them and their belongings
  • are entitled to receive the majority of your payment tax free. You can find out more about qualifying care relief on the GOV.UK website.
About the shared lives carer role
Shared lives training