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Each country in the UK has different rules and funding thresholds when it comes to paying for home care so it is important that you find out how much home care costs in England and how you can get help with funding your home care in England.
Receiving care and support at home enables people to continue living in the comfort of their own home for as long as possible.
Below is a quick overview of how home care funding works in England, including average costs, local authority funding, benefits you may be eligible for and funding for adaptations to make your home safer.
We also have guidance for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
How much does home care cost in England?
Home care is usually charged by the hour. The average cost of home care is £23 – £34 per hour.
You can have visits that are shorter than an hour for a proportionate price. For example, if your home care costs £30 an hour, you could have a half-hour visit for £15.
Find out more about home care costs here.
How much does live-in care cost in England?
Live-in care is when a carer comes to live in your home.
A live-in carer costs, on average, around £900 – £1400 per week.
This can vary according to where in England you live and how much care you need; specialist or nursing live-in care could cost closer to £2000 a week.
You can find out more about live-in care here.
Live-in care is usually more expensive than living in a care home, but this depends on your needs and financial circumstances..
How can I arrange funding for home care?
Home care is usually funded by either the person receiving care or the local authority (there is also NHS continuing healthcare funding, see below).
Self-funding is when the person receiving care pays for their care privately.
State-funding is when the person’s care is paid for by the local authority (council).
Which sort of funding applies to you depends on how much money you have in capital and assets.
To determine how much you have, and whether you are eligible for state funding, the local authority will conduct a financial means test.
Financial means test
A financial means test, or financial assessment, looks at how much money you have. Your local authority will conduct the assessment.
The total value of your capital dictates whether or not you are eligible for local authority funding. For home care this is your income, including through earnings, benefits and pensions, and your savings.
In England the capital limits for home care are:
- Upper limit is £23,250 – if you have over this amount you will have to self-fund your care
- Lower limit is £14,250 – if you have under this amount the local authority will fund your care
If you have more than £14,250 but less than £23,250, your care will be partially funded by the council and partially funded by you.
There is more information on financial assessments here.
Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG)
If your care is arranged by the local authority, as opposed to you choosing a home care provider yourself, they will ensure that you are left with some money for day to day living expenses. This is called Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG).
How much MIG is set aside for you depends on your circumstances. You can see the rates for 2024/25 and learn more about Minimum Income Guarantee here.
NHS continuing healthcare funding
NHS continuing healthcare funding is a package whereby the NHS pays for some or all of your care. To be eligible you must be assessed as having a ‘primary health need’, and the care you receive must focus on treating or preventing your primary health need.
Assessments are done on an individual basis, so no particular diagnosis qualifies.
There is further information about NHS continuing healthcare funding, eligibility and how to request an assessment here.
What benefits can I claim when I need home care in England?
When you look into receiving home care, you need to ask your local authority for a care needs assessment. This looks at what you are finding difficult and the kind of support that could help you.
This can also provide information on benefits you may be eligible for, though you will need to apply for these separately. It’s also possible that the change in circumstances that receiving home care brings will mean that you are no longer eligible for one or more of the benefits you currently receive.
There are some benefits that you can continue receiving if you start getting care at home. These include:
Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is for people of State Pension age who have a disability that means they require care and support with daily living.
The 2024/25 rates for Attendance Allowance are:
| Lower rate | £72.65 per week |
| Higher rate | £108.55 per week |
You can find out more about Attendance Allowance here.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Personal Independence Payment is for people aged over 16 but under State Pension age, who have a long-term health condition or disability that requires care and support.
There are two components for PIP, the Daily Living component and the Mobility component.
The 2024/25 rates for Personal Independence Payment are:
| Daily Living component | Mobility component | |
| Lower rate | £72.65 | £28.70 |
| Higher rate | £108.55 | £75.75 |
You can find out more about PIP here.
Disability Premiums
A disability premium is extra money to help people with disabilities. You can claim it in addition to certain benefits, including Housing Benefit, Guarantee Pension Credit, Income Support, income based JSA and income related ESA.
You may be eligible for more than one of the types of premium and be able to get more than one at once.
The 2024/25 -rates for disability premiums are:
| Disability Premium | Severe Disability Premium | Enhanced Disability Premium | |
| Rate if you are single | £42.50 per week | £81.50 per week | £20.85 per week |
| Rate if you are in a couple | £60.60 per week | £163 per week (if you are both eligible) | £29.75 per week (if at least one of you is eligible) |
You can find out more about Disability Premiums and how to claim them here.
Pension Credit
Pension Credit for people of State Pension who have an income below a certain amount. In 2024/25, this amount is £218.15 per week for single people or £332.95 per week for a couple.
There are two parts to Pension Credit:
- Guarantee Credit tops up your money to the above amounts.
- Savings Credit is an alternative or additional amount for people who have a second pension or savings.
For 2024/25, Pension Credit rates are:
| Guarantee Credit | Savings Credit | |
| Singles | However much you need to top your money up to £218.15 per week. | Up to £17.01 per week |
| Couples | However much you need to top your money up to £332.95 per week between you. | Up to £19.04 per week |
There’s more information about Pension Credit here.
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
ESA is for people who have an illness or disability that limits their ability to work. It is for people aged at least 16 and under State Pension age.
Applicants are put into one of two groups:
- Support group: For people who are unlikely to work again
- Work-related activity group: For people who will likely be able to work again in the future
The 2024/25 rates for ESA are:
| Support group | Up to £138.20 per week (£90.50 + £47.70 Support component) |
| Work-related activity group | Up to £126.45 per week (£90.50 + £35.95 Work-Related Activity component) |
You can find out more about ESA and how to apply here.
If you are assessed as being ineligible for local authority funding, the council should give guidance on benefits that you may be eligible for that could help to pay for your home care.
For more information on benefits you can claim while receiving home care, see our article.
Home adaptations
If you need adaptations to your home to make it safer and more accessible, you may be able to have this paid for by your local authority. They can conduct a home assessment free of charge and discuss with you any adaptations that would help.
In England, any adaptations that cost under £1000 are paid for by the local authority, as long as you are assessed as needing it. For more expensive adaptations, you may need to contribute financially, depending on your financial circumstances.
For further information on funding home adaptations, see our full article here.
