Paying for care
Working out how to pay for a care home is stressful and the rules are not simple. These guides explain what care costs, what the council and the NHS will and will not pay, and the options for funding the rest.
If you have capital above the means-test limit you will usually pay your own care fees, at least at first. Below it, your local authority contributes. Some people qualify for NHS funding, and there are ways to fund self-paid fees, from deferred payment to care-fee annuities and equity release. The right route depends entirely on your circumstances.
This is the family side of Care Homes Finance. If instead you are looking to buy, build or refinance a care home as a business, our main site covers commercial care home finance.
Work out where you stand
An indicative read on likely fees, your means-test position and which funding routes may apply.
Paying for care: the guides
Plain-English explanations of how care funding works in the UK.
How to pay for a care home
If you are arranging care for a relative, or for yourself, the first worry is usually how it will be paid for. This guide sets out the main routes in plain English.
Care home costs in the UK
Care home fees are one of the biggest costs a family can face, so it helps to know what is typical before you start looking. This guide sets out current figures and what drives them.
The care home fees means test
Before a council helps with care home fees it carries out a financial assessment, often called the means test. This guide explains how it works and what counts.
Do I have to sell my house to pay for care?
One of the most common fears when a relative moves into a care home is having to sell the family home. This guide explains when that is and is not necessary.
Deferred payment agreements for care fees
A deferred payment agreement lets you pay care home fees from the value of your home later, rather than selling it now. This guide explains how the council scheme works.
Immediate needs annuities for care fees
An immediate needs annuity turns a lump sum into a guaranteed income toward care fees for the rest of someone's life. This guide explains how it works and who it suits.
Equity release to pay for care fees
Some families look at equity release to unlock money from a home to help pay for care. This guide explains how it works, when it can help and the risks involved.
NHS Continuing Healthcare explained
NHS Continuing Healthcare can pay the full cost of care for people whose needs are mainly about health. This guide explains who qualifies and how the assessment works.
NHS-funded Nursing Care explained
NHS-funded Nursing Care is a weekly NHS payment toward the nursing element of care in a nursing home. This guide explains who gets it and how it differs from CHC.
Attendance Allowance and care costs
Attendance Allowance is a benefit for older people who need help because of an illness or disability, and it is not means-tested. This guide explains how it can help with care costs.
New rules for care home payments
Many families search for the new rules on care home payments expecting a big change. Here is what actually changed, what was scrapped, and the rules that apply in 2026.
The NHS Continuing Healthcare checklist and assessment
NHS Continuing Healthcare is decided in two stages: a screening checklist, then a full assessment against twelve care domains. Knowing how each stage is scored helps you prepare.
Appealing an NHS Continuing Healthcare decision
Many Continuing Healthcare refusals are overturned on challenge. This guide walks through the appeal stages, the deadlines, and how to build the strongest case.
Gifting money to avoid care home fees: the real rules
Giving money or the house to the children before care is needed sounds like simple planning. The means test has a rule for exactly that, and the 7 year rule people quote does not apply.
Are next of kin responsible for care home fees?
A common fear when a parent goes into care is that the bill lands on the children. The legal position is clearer and kinder than most families expect.
What happens when the money runs out in a care home
Self-funders worry about one question above all: what happens when the savings are gone? The system has an answer, and the key is acting early, not at the cliff edge.
Not sure which option is right?
Care fee planning, annuities and equity release are regulated advice. We can introduce you to an FCA-authorised specialist who will look at your circumstances.