Due to essential maintenance, the following systems will be unavailable from 6.00pm on Monday 2 October until 8.00am on Tuesday 3 October: our online council tax, business rates and housing benefit services, and our welfare assistance form. You will also not be able to register to pay council tax online, make a change of address for council tax or cancel single person discount. You are still able to make a payment during this time. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Care and support for adults

Our vision for Adult Social Care is that:

Adults with care and support needs, and their carers receive the care and support they need, when they need it, to help them live the lives they want.

We provide adult social care services for the most vulnerable people in our community to help keep them safe and to live independently wherever possible. We also work with people who need advice and information to help them stay fit and well in their own homes for as long as possible and prevent or delay them becoming dependent on care services.

Our comprehensive directory of services available - Locate - care and support in County Durham - is available to everyone, whether or not you have assessed needs, and regardless of whether you purchase your own care or receive council funding towards it.

We work within a number of legal frameworks - the main one is The Care Act (2014).