Pay for care at home
Examples of what people pay for care and support
Care costs
Most people will have to pay for some or all of their care and support. The amount you will have to pay depends on the type of help you need and the savings and income that you have.
If your savings and investments are less than £23,250, you could qualify for help to pay for the cost of your care.
To find out if you’re likely to qualify for help to pay for your care home, use our online calculator.
How we work out what you will pay
We will do a financial assessment to work out how much you will pay towards the cost of your care.
You'll find examples of financial assessments on this page.
Example 1: Joan, state pension, no savings
Joan is 85. She needs home care for 10 hours each week.
Joan’s care and support costs are £18.01 per hour.
She receives a state pension but has no savings. She qualifies for financial assistance from the council to pay for all of her care.
How we work it out
Joan’s care costs
Her care and support costs are £180.10 every week.
Income and savings
Joan has no savings. Her weekly income includes:
- £203.85 state pension
- £101.75 higher rate of attendance allowance
Joan’s total weekly income is £305.60.
Costs (money she can keep)
Joan keeps some income back to cover living costs:
- £214.35 minimum income guarantee (MIG)
- £100 household bills
- £5 disability-related costs
Joan’s total weekly living costs are £319.35.
What we mean by Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG)
The Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is an amount set aside to cover your everyday expenses when we calculate what you can afford to pay towards your care each week.
What Joan pays
Joan’s income is less than her daily living allowance, so she qualifies for help to pay for all of her care. She will not have to pay for her care at all.
Find out how we work out what you will pay.
Example 2: Tim, state pension, benefits, no savings
Tim is 67. He needs personal care for 15 hours each week.
Tim’s care and support costs are £18.01 per hour.
He has a small pension and no savings. He qualifies for financial assistance from the council to pay for some of his care costs.
How we work it out
Tim’s care costs
His care and support costs are £270.15 each week.
Income and savings
Tim has no savings. His weekly income includes:
- £120 state pension
- £81.05 pension credit
- £68.10 lower rate of attendance allowance
His total weekly income is £269.15.
Costs (money he can keep)
Tim keeps some income back, to cover living costs:
- £214.35 minimum income guarantee (MIG)
- £50 household bills
- £3 disability-related costs
Tim’s total living costs are £267.35.
What we mean by Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG)
The Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is an amount set aside to cover your everyday expenses when we calculate what you can afford to pay towards your care each week.
What Tim pays
£269.15 total weekly income - £267.35 total living costs = £1.80
This is the amount that Tim can afford to pay.
What we pay
Tim pays £1.80 towards his care each week.
The full weekly cost of his care is £270.15.
There is £268.35 left to cover the bill. This is the amount the council pays.
Find out how we work out what you will pay.