Paying for a care home
This content applies to England only.
Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland
If you are thinking of moving into a care home, this section has information about help you may be able to get to pay for the costs, and contains a brief guide to help with paying the costs of a care home.
More detailed guides are available from Age UK.
Will I have to pay care home charges?
If you need to move into a care home, your local authority will assess whether you have to make a contribution towards the fees. They will make their decision based on your income and savings. For example, if you have more than £23,250 in capital (this may include the value of your home - see below) then you will usually have to pay the care home fees in full.
What if I need nursing care?
If you live in a registered nursing home and you need regular care from a medical professional, the NHS will make a contribution to your fees. This is called 'NHS-funded nursing care'. In 2010/11, people who were eligible received £108.70 per week towards the cost of nursing care provided by their care home (some people who have been receiving nursing care for a number of years may be entitled to higher rate of £149.60).
Some people with acute and complex medical needs are entitled to have the full cost of their care (including the cost of the accommodation) paid for by the NHS. This is called 'NHS continuing healthcare' funding.
If you think you may qualify for NHS funding, ask your GP, hospital consultant or other medical professionals to arrange an assessment. If you are not satisfied with their response, or you disagree with the decision made, get advice. NHS continuing healthcare funding is not easy to get but getting help from an adviser may increase your chances of a successful assessment or appeal.
You can download a leaflet about NHS funding from the Department of Health website.
Will I have to sell my home to pay for care home charges?
If you own your own home and you move into a residential care home permanently, the local authority will ignore the value of your home for the first 12 weeks of your stay. After that, they will usually include the value of your home when working out whether you have to pay care home fees.
Your local council cannot force you to sell your home. However, you will be expected eventually to sell your home to pay the fees - this is a complex area, and it is best to get professional advice.
In certain situations, the local authority will not include the value of your home when working out whether you have to pay fees. They will ignore the value of your home if any of the following people are living in it:
- your partner or your former partner
- a relative who is aged over 60
- a relative who is incapacitated, for example, someone with a disability
- a relative who is responsible for a child aged under 16.
The local authority can also choose to ignore the value of your home if they think it is reasonable to do so, for example, if you have another relative living at home who does not fit into any of the above categories. For more information see the information sheet from Age UK on paying for your care home.
