Who to send it to
The NHS Continuing Healthcare team at the integrated care board (ICB) now responsible for the area where the person lived and was registered with a GP during the period of care. If you are not sure which ICB that is, write to the one for that area: if it was not responsible, it should tell you and pass the request to the right ICB.
The letter
Replace everything in [square brackets], keep a copy, and note the date you sent it.
Tips
- Before you write, list the dates and places of care, who provided it, who paid, and the main health events (hospital stays, falls, infections, pressure sores, behaviour). This is the backbone of the claim.
- Return the forms within 28 days if you can, with proof that you can act. If you cannot, tell the ICB why; it can close a request when proof of authority does not arrive. For someone who has died, ICBs normally allow eight weeks to provide proof such as probate.
- The ICB gathers the care, GP, hospital and social care records itself. Keep your own copies of anything you send.
- The ICB will share a summary of needs (a 'needs portrayal') and ask for your comments, usually within 28 days. Check it carefully against what you remember and what the records show.
- The guidance sets no closing date for periods from 1 April 2012, but records are only kept for limited periods, so do not delay.
- You do not need a claims company. If you are thinking of using one, check its fees carefully first. Free advice: Beacon, 0345 548 0300.
The law behind it
Guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care, 'Dealing with requests for assessments of previously unassessed periods of care from 1 April 2012' (updated March 2025), which ICBs follow alongside their duty under regulation 21 of the Standing Rules Regulations 2012 and the National Framework. ICBs should generally consider periods of care from 1 April 2012; earlier periods were closed in 2007 and 2012 except in exceptional circumstances. The ICB sends an application form and a consent form, which should be returned within 28 days, with proof of authority to act. ICBs should aim to complete requests within six months where the period is a year or less, and within 12 months for longer periods. If the person was eligible, the ICB should refund the care costs for that period plus interest. A period that was already assessed is not a past-care claim; it is challenged through the review process instead.
Read more in our guide: NHS Continuing Healthcare: a guide for families.
Legal references checked 30 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.