Short answer: in the UK, who pays for a care home depends on the person's care needs, their savings and property, and where they live. Some people pay for their own care, some get help from their local council after an assessment, and a few qualify for NHS-funded care. The rules differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so start with your council and independent advice, not with a price list.
This guide only points you to the right places. It is not financial, legal or care advice, and it does not set out current thresholds or rules, which change.
The main routes
- Paying for your own care. Some people fund a care home themselves, using savings, pensions or the value of their home. This is often called self-funding.
- Help from the council. A local council can assess a person's care needs, and may then look at their finances to decide whether it will contribute towards the cost.
- NHS-funded care. In some cases, where a person has significant ongoing health needs, the NHS may pay for care. This is decided by an assessment, not by the choice of home.
- A mix. Some people receive part of their care funded and top up the rest themselves.
Where to start
- Ask your local council. Its adult social care team can explain how assessments work and what happens next. You can find your council on GOV.UK.
- Talk to a free advice service. Age UK, Independent Age and Citizens Advice provide free, independent information on care and money.
- Speak to your GP or the hospital team if the move follows a health event. They can explain what health assessments may apply. See the NHS for general information.
- Consider regulated financial advice for complex decisions, such as using the value of a home to pay for care. Choose an adviser who specialises in later life.
Be careful with property decisions
Selling a home, or releasing money from it, can affect care funding and other benefits. Take advice before you act. Our guide to downsizing or equity release sets out the questions to ask, and our guide to Lasting Power of Attorney explains who can make decisions if the person cannot.
Once the decision is made
When the decision about a care home has been made with the right professionals, the practical move is the next step. Our moving into a care home checklist covers what to take, labelling and the first days.
Where Chayce fits
Chayce helps with the practical side of a care home move: sorting what comes with the person, careful packing, a fully insured removal and setting up their new room, with one coordinator across the UK. We do not give funding, care, legal or financial advice. See our care home removals page. A Discovery Consultation, £150, gives you a plan and timeline, and our packages start at £995. To talk it over, get in touch.
