Local Authority funding for care in your own home

Looking for care at home in your area? Care Sourcer’s service offers a free searchable directory of local care agencies.

Care at home (also known as in-home care, home care, or domiciliary care) is when a carer will come to your home for a set period of time or even a few times throughout the day (commonly as a ‘visit’).

Care packages can start very small – it can be as simple as coming around and having a cup of tea and a chat, helping with the shopping, or helping to tidy up.

Find out more about care at home services.

Is Local Authority funding available for care in your own home?

You may qualify for full or partial funding towards the cost of care at home from your Local Authority, depending on your location in the UK, income, capital and savings.

There are also sometimes differences depending on whether you need personal care (for example washing, dressing, getting in and out of bed, meal preparation etc) which is provided by a trained carer, or nursing care, which is provided either by or under the supervision of qualified nurses.

Qualifying for Local Authority funding towards the cost of care at home

Questions about funding care?

Call us for your free consultation with one of our friendly UK care experts. If you need further support, our Care Concierge service is on hand to provide guidance on typical care costs, help you explore your funding and benefit options, or even negotiate care fees on your behalf.

Find out how Care Concierge can help you, or call now on freephone:

0800 098 8299

(Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

England

If you live in England, you should qualify for full funding towards care in your own home if you own less than £14,250 in savings and assets.

If you have between £14,250 and £23,250 in capital, you’ll need to contribute £1 for every £250 of your savings between that amount, on a weekly basis, towards your care home expenses. You’ll also be required to contribute the majority of your income, excluding your personal expenses allowance, towards your care home fees.

If you have assets exceeding £27,250, you’ll need to finance the costs on your own, or with the help of family or friends. See more about paying for the full cost of care (‘self funding’).

Scotland

If you live in Scotland and are over 65, you are entitled to full funding towards personal care (regardless of savings or assets) if you are assessed as needing it. People in Scotland of any age can access free nursing care, as long as you’ve been assessed as requiring nursing care support – this is generally allocated through your local GP.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, local trusts tend not to charge for care at home services although it can be means-tested, meaning you may have to pay for some services. However, no one over the age of 75 is required to pay for care in their own home.

Wales

Social care at home in Wales is not free, but the Welsh Government caps the amount you may be charged for home care or home help services. On a weekly basis, local authorities can charge you a maximum of £90 a week if you have savings or investments of more than £24,000.

Throughout the UK, if you prefer a care at home agency with costs that exceed the payments made by your local authority, you or a relative can make top-up payments, allowing you to select your own preferred provider.

How do you arrange care at home funding?

Wherever you live in the UK, to find out whether you qualify for funding for care, you should first arrange a care needs assessment through your local authority (which may be called a local council or trust, depending on where you live).

The needs assessment will evaluate your day-to-day support requirements. Using input from a team of medical professionals, the assessment is designed to reveal whether your needs should be supported within a 24/7 care home environment, or whether you can continue to live at home.

If the care needs assessment recommends that care is needed, a further financial assessment will be arranged to see if the local authority will pay towards the care.

How do I access free support?

Regardless of your income, you may be entitled to some free care and support.

For example, you could qualify for:

Attendance Allowance
Disability Living Allowance
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Specialist equipment or home adaptations costing less than £1,000
NHS care in the form of:

continuing healthcare
nursing care
post-discharge care

Summary

Do I qualify for funding for care in my own home?

You may qualify for full or partial funding towards the cost of care at home from your Local Authority, depending on your location in the UK, income, capital and savings.

How can I claim local authority funding for care at home?

To check what funding you qualify for, you need to contact your local authority for a care needs assessment. Once a care at home plan has been agreed, the local authority will then arrange a financial assessment to determine if you qualify for funding.

What if the care I want is more expensive than the funding available?

If you prefer a care at home agency with costs that exceed the payments made by your local authority, you or a relative can make top-up payments, allowing you to select your own preferred provider.