You will not be entitled to help with the cost of care from your local council if:
You can ask your council for a financial assessment (means test) to check if you qualify for any help with costs.
You can choose to pay for care yourself if you don't want a financial assessment.
Even if you choose to pay for your care, your council can do an assessment to check what care you might need. This is called a needs assessment.
For example, it'll tell you whether you need home help from a paid carer for 2 hours a day or 2 hours a week and precisely what they should help you with.
The needs assessment is free and anyone can ask for one.
Social care can be expensive. Knowing how much you'll have to pay will help you budget.
A typical hourly rate for a carer to come to your home is around £20, but this will vary depending on where you live.
Having a carer who lives with you costs from around £800 a week. But it can cost as much as £1,600 a week if you need a lot of care.
There are 2 types of care home:
A room in a care home costs:
The price will vary according to where you live and the type of care you need.
For example, serious health problems like dementia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can increase the cost.
You may be eligible for benefits, like Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which aren't means-tested.
You can use them to pay towards the cost of your care.
You won't have to sell your home to pay for help in your own home.
But you may have to sell your home to pay for a care home, unless your partner carries on living in it.
Sometimes selling your home to pay care home fees is the best option.
But there may be other ways to pay care home fees if you don't want to sell your home straight away.
Equity release lets you take money that's tied up in your home without selling it. It's available if you're over 55.
But you have to pay interest on the money you take out, which can be expensive.
You can rent out your home and use the income to help pay your care home fees.
A deferred payment scheme can be useful if you have savings less than the upper capital limit of £23,250 and all your money is tied up in your property.
The council pays for your care home and you repay it later when you choose to sell your home, or after your death.
Ask your council if you're eligible for a deferred payment scheme.
You can get more information from:
You can get unbiased expert advice from a specialist care fees adviser.
They'll help you compare all your options before you decide what's right for you.
Find a specialist care fees adviser in your area with:
Get advice on paying for care from:
If your savings fall below the upper capital limit of £23,250, your council might be able to help with the cost of care.
Contact your local council about 3 months before you think your savings will drop to below the limit and ask them to reassess your finances.
Councils provide funding from the date you contact them. You won't be reimbursed if your savings are below the limit before you contact them.
You might be able to get some free help regardless of your income or if you're paying for your care.
This can include:
Page last reviewed: 8 August 2022
Next review due: 8 August 2025