Free letter template to request a retrospective NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment after someone has died. Includes what to include, time limits, and what happens next.
This guide is part of ProbateHelp's Support & Benefits guide cluster. Estimated reading time: 12 min.
Also searched as: c h c retrospective claim letter.
No. CHC can apply to care provided at home, in a care home, or in a nursing home. The key issue is the nature, intensity, complexity and unpredictability of the person's needs, not the setting. Retrospective estate claims often involve care home fees because those are the largest costs.
No. Dementia alone does not automatically qualify someone for CHC. Eligibility depends on the assessed needs across the Decision Support Tool domains. Severe dementia with behavioural disturbance, dysphagia, falls, pressure damage or complex medication may support a case, but the evidence must show a primary health need.
Yes. A previously unassessed period of care request is relevant where the person funded care in full or in part and there is objective evidence they should have been considered for NHS Continuing Healthcare at the time.
The ICB should consider the evidence that remains available, including GP records, hospital records, local authority records, invoices and family evidence. Missing care home records can make the case harder, but they should not automatically end the review.
There is no fixed amount. Any repayment depends on the period found eligible, the care fees paid, and any NHS-funded nursing care already received. The ICB calculates the figure after deciding the eligible period.