Help with care home costs
Find out if you can get help to pay care home costs.
Care and nursing homes
If you are considering moving into a care home, it is important to speak to us first.
We can do a care needs assessment to decide if a care home is the best option for you, or if other care and support services could help.
Cost of care
Unlike the NHS, social care is not free and most people will have to pay for some or all of their care.
Care homes can be expensive. The cost will vary depending on the type of care home you choose and the amount and type of care you need.
See examples of what people pay towards their care and nursing home costs.
Check if you qualify for help to pay
Most people will need to pay something towards their care.
You will not qualify for council-funded social care if you have savings, property or investments of more than £23,250. You will need to self-fund your care.
To find out if you’re likely to qualify for financial help to pay for your care home use our online calculator.
If you’ve had a care needs assessment, and we think you need to move into a care home, we’ll do a financial assessment (means test) with you. The assessment works out how much you can afford to pay and if the council will pay towards your care.
When you do not pay anything
Most people will have to pay something towards the cost of their care, but you may not pay anything at all if you:
- are receiving care under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983
- have Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
- qualify for full NHS Continuing Health Care Funding