Guidance for Northern Ireland
Health and Social Care trusts arrange integrated health and social-care assessments. RQIA regulates services.
Where to begin
- Contact the relevant HSC trust for an assessment.
- Use RQIA information when comparing regulated home care.
- Attendance Allowance applies; major private-sector adaptations may use the Northern Ireland Housing Executive DFG route.
Visual guides
See the decision at a glance
- Contact the HSC trustRequest assessment, describe urgent risk and ask for communication or advocacy support.
- Plan servicesAsk for the written needs decision, agreed support, responsible teams and review arrangements.
- Understand fundingRequest written information about applicable charges, health funding and care-home arrangements.
- Raise concernsUse the HSC complaints process, RQIA and Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman routes as appropriate.
Care and funding
Ask the responsible council or health and social-care body for an assessment before assuming you must arrange everything privately. Request the written eligibility, care-plan and charging decisions.
Benefits and legal planning
Use the official benefit and legal documents for Northern Ireland. Do not copy forms, thresholds or terminology from another UK nation.
Complaints and safeguarding
Start with the service or commissioning body. Ask for its written complaints route and raise immediate abuse, neglect or danger through the local safeguarding or emergency route.
Urgent health help
Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency. For other urgent problems use the official NHS urgent-care service operating in Northern Ireland; local arrangements can differ.
Official starting points
Guides that apply here
These have been selected for Northern Ireland; guides that apply only in another UK nation are not shown.
Disabled Facilities Grants: limits, assessment and application
Learn Disabled Facilities Grant maximums for 2026, means testing, occupational therapy assessment, application steps and approval times across the UK.
Useful if: For disabled people who need major home adaptations, and the family members, landlords or advisers helping them apply before work begins.
Read the guideDirect payments for care: choice, spending and responsibilities
Learn how direct payments work, what a care budget can fund, employer duties, record keeping, backup cover and the four nations’ different systems.
Useful if: For people with assessed social-care needs who want control over arranging support, and family members or advocates helping manage a payment with consent.
Read the guideFinancial assessment for care: income, savings and your home
Prepare for a UK care financial assessment, understand 2026/27 capital limits, income, property disregards and how deprivation of assets is considered.
Useful if: For people planning or receiving council-funded home support or a care-home placement, and relatives helping organise records or question a contribution decision.
Read the guideEnduring power of attorney in Northern Ireland
A Northern Ireland enduring power of attorney lets you choose who manages your money if capacity is lost; learn how to make and register one.
Useful if: Adults in Northern Ireland who want to appoint a trusted person for financial decisions, and relatives helping them understand the local process.
Read the guide