Funding your care
Clear, practical guidance for understanding the main ways care can be paid for.
- Start with a free council care-needs assessment
- Check NHS and local-authority funding routes
- Get independent advice before making big financial decisions
Start with the assessments
Two assessments shape everything: a care needs assessment (from your local council, free, establishes what support is needed) and, if the council may be contributing, a financial assessment (a means test of income and capital). Ask the council for both early — they underpin every funding route below.
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
If someone’s needs are primarily health needs — complex, intense or unpredictable — the NHS can fund the full cost of their care, including accommodation. This is called NHS Continuing Healthcare. It is not means-tested; eligibility is decided through a structured NHS assessment. If a doctor, nurse or social worker thinks CHC might apply, ask for a checklist assessment.
NHS-funded Nursing Care (FNC)
If a person in a nursing home needs care from a registered nurse but doesn’t qualify for full CHC, the NHS pays a flat weekly contribution towards the nursing element, directly to the home. The rate is set nationally and reviewed each year — check the current figure on nhs.uk. It covers nursing input only, not accommodation or personal care.
Local authority funding
Where needs are primarily social-care needs, the council may contribute after the means test. In England, if your capital is above the upper threshold (currently £23,250 — check gov.uk for the latest figure) you will usually pay the full fees yourself; below it, council support tapers in. The value of your home is sometimes excluded — for example while a spouse or certain dependants still live there — so always complete the assessment before assuming.
Paying for yourself
Many families fund care privately, from income, savings or property. Before committing, ask each home for a clear written contract: what the weekly fee includes, what costs extra, how and when fees rise, and the notice terms. If you’re selling or renting out a property, a regulated independent financial adviser who specialises in later-life care (look for SOLLA accreditation) can save you a great deal of money and worry.
Free, independent help
Age UK, Citizens Advice and MoneyHelper all provide free guidance on care funding, benefits (such as Attendance Allowance) and later-life planning. Your council’s adult social care team must also provide information and advice, whoever is paying.