How billing works with Elder

Managing the financial side of live-in care can feel like one more thing to navigate at an already busy time. We’ve kept things as simple and transparent as possible, so you always know what to expect and when.

Here’s everything you need to know about how billing works with Elder.

How do payments work?

Elder charges weekly in arrears. To help you understand how this works in practice,

• Week one: Your carer provides care throughout the week.
• Week two: On Monday, your invoice is generated for the care delivered the previous week. At the same time, we’ll attempt to take payment using your chosen payment method.
• Week three: Your carer is paid for the care they delivered in week one.

Invoices lock on Monday. Any changes to your care arrangement made after this time will be on the following week’s invoice.

Because schedules are two-sided, any change you make will affect both what you’re charged and what your carer receives, so it’s always worth checking with your account team if you’re unsure.

Payment methods

Elder offers a few payment options and our team is always happy to help you find the option that works best.

Direct Debit

Direct Debit is our preferred payment method and the one we’d always recommend setting up. It’s reliable, secure, and means payment is collected automatically each week without you having to do anything.

You can set up your Direct Debit through MyElder, our online portal. Once it’s in place, we’ll take payment of varying amounts each week depending on your care costs.

Timeframes: A new Direct Debit mandate can take between three and ten days to go through. If a payment fails, you will receive a notification as soon as we know.

Card payments

You can also pay by credit or debit card. Card details are quick to save and update via MyElder, and we’ll know within ten minutes whether a payment has gone through successfully.

Card payments are slightly less secure than Direct Debit because they’re easier to cancel. If you’re able to, we’d encourage you to set up a Direct Debit instead — but we’re happy to accept card payments where that’s what works for you.

Bank transfer

In most cases, we’d ask you to pay by Direct Debit or card rather than bank transfer. With Direct Debit and card, we can take payment automatically each week and follow up quickly if anything goes wrong. With a bank transfer, it’s down to you to send the payment manually each week, which increases the chance of something being missed.

That said, there are some situations where we can accept a bank transfer:

• If your account has closed and you have an outstanding balance to settle in one payment.
• If your care is fully funded by a council or local authority through a commissioned services arrangement.

If you’re unsure which payment method applies to your situation, just get in touch and we’ll help you work it out.

Council funding

Some families receive full or partial funding from a council or local authority. Depending on your arrangement, this might be paid via a prepaid card, bank transfer, or as a part payment made directly to you. If you’re funded through your council, we’ll work with you to make sure billing is set up correctly from the start.

Understanding your invoice

Each week, you’ll receive an itemised invoice by email. Here’s what you’ll find on it:

• Reference Numbers: Your customer reference number (your C-number), which forms the first part of the invoice number.
• Care Details: The details of the care recipient, billing contact, name of your carer and dates care took place.
• Cost Breakdown: A breakdown of the total, split between Elder’s service fee and the care fee. While care fees are not subject to VAT, Elder’s service fee is standard-rated.

If you ever have questions about a charge on your invoice, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your account executive.

What happens if a payment fails?

Occasionally, payments don’t go through as expected. This can happen for a number of reasons, including insufficient funds, a cancelled Direct Debit mandate, or an issue with your bank. If a payment fails, we’ll let you know straight away.

Here’s what happens next:

• First Failure: We will contact you to help fix the issue. If we have no response, we will automatically retry payment within 1 week of failure.
• If a second payment attempt fails, we’ll be in touch again to discuss next steps. Again, if we do not hear from you, we will attempt payment 1 week from payment failure.
• If three payment attempts fail in a row, you will receive a formal letter giving you one week to settle the balance. If payment isn’t received within that timeframe, we may need to review the continuation of your care arrangement. We always consider individual circumstances and will do our best to find a solution.

Communication is key. If you are ever concerned about a payment, please reach out to your account executive so we can find a solution together. We’re here to help, and there’s almost always a way forward.