Paying for care in your home

Care in your home

To get help with care and support costs, you’ll need to have a care needs assessment first.

Types of social care and support include:

• help at home from a paid carer
• making adaptations to your home
• gadgets and equipment to help with daily tasks
• personal alarms so you can call for help if you need it
• different types of housing such as supported living and care homes

Read about help to stay living independently at home.

How it works

Social care and support is not free but you may get help to pay for it. The amount you will have to pay depends on the type of help you need and the savings and income that you have.

See examples of what people pay towards their care and support 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.

If you’ve had a care needs assessment, and you’re eligible for care from us, 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.

Get an estimate of how much you might have to pay

Use our estimators to get an idea of how much you’ll pay towards any care or support we arrange for you. Estimate how much you’ll pay for 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: 

• need reablement services
• 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