Retrospective claims
Reclaiming care fees you shouldn’t have paid
What Is a Retrospective CHC claim?
If someone was eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare but wasn’t assessed properly — or was wrongly found ineligible — you may be entitled to make a retrospective claim to recover care fees that were incorrectly paid.
This applies to people who have already passed away or those who funded their own care (self-funders) before a CHC assessment took place or was completed inaccurately.
A retrospective claim is a formal request to the NHS to review a past period of care, typically when:
- No CHC assessment was carried out when it should have been
- An assessment was done, but the decision was flawed or incomplete
- CHC eligibility was removed, but the individual’s care needs had not changed
- If it’s found that the person should have been eligible, the NHS may refund some or all of the care home or nursing fees for that period — potentially amounting to thousands of pounds.
Who Can Make a Retrospective Claim?
Living individuals who paid for their own care and believe they were wrongly denied CHC
Relatives or legal representatives of someone who has died and funded their own care during their lifetime
Retrospevtive claims can be incredibly complex and time consuming, professional advice is crucial to help gather evidence and challenge complex decisions.
Time Limits for Retrospective Claims
Strict deadlines apply:
For claims relating to care received after 1 April 2012, you must submit your request within 12 months of receiving a decision that you wish to challenge.
For deceased individuals, claims must usually be made within 12 months of the date of death or the date you became aware that CHC should have been considered.
Important: NHS England no longer accepts new claims for care prior to 31 March 2012, due to national deadlines that have now passed.
What’s Involved in a Retrospective Review?
The NHS will review available records — including care home notes, medical records, risk assessments, and any previous CHC documentation — to reassess whether the individual met the criteria for CHC funding during the claimed period.
If successful, a refund will be calculated based on the actual care costs incurred, minus any other NHS or local authority contributions.
What can Acorn CHC do to help you?
Appeals and reviews are time-consuming and can be emotionally draining, in some cases leaving families without support for months or longer. This can result in claimants giving up due to the stress. We hear from so many individuals that considered giving up on their claim and walking away.
At Acorn, we can advise, support and guide claimants through the process. We specialise in challenging NHS CHC decisions, managing appeals, and recovering costs from previously unassessed periods of care.
The process is often time consuming and difficult but with our help you will be able to look forward to a preferable outcome.
Our team have years of experience and have been key to a high number of successful outcomes.
- Independent & Client-Focused – We work only for you and your family.
- Clear, Straightforward Advice – No jargon. Just support you can trust.
- Compassionate Approach – We understand the emotional and financial strain families face.
Let’s Talk
Let us take the pressure off, so you can focus on what matters most.
We take time to listen to you and understand how you came to be where you are now, getting to know the patient and your situation as much as possible. We are regularly told that just speaking to us during the first call has helped families significantly with the emotional burden.
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