Definition
An extra amount of money that must be paid if a person chooses to live in care home that costs more than their personal budget.
A top-up is usually paid by a ‘third party’ who must be willing and able to pay the additional cost. The third party may be the person’s relative or friend, or could be a charity.
In some circumstances the person can pay their own top-up fee. This is called a ‘first party top-up’.
This extra cost must always be optional and never because there is no choice of available and affordable accommodation.