Page contents
Home care supports people to continue living independently in their own homes for as long as possible, but as with any care, funding it can be a worry.
Here is a quick overview of how home care funding works in Wales.
We also have articles specific to home care funding in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
How much does home care cost in Wales?
Home care costs an average of £23 – £34 per hour. This can vary according to your needs, for example more specialist care may cost more, and some calls require two carers.
While visits are usually charged by the hour, you can opt for half-hour visits or even 15-minute visits, depending on the home care provider.
That said, there is a cap in Wales, so you will never have to pay more than £100 a week from your own pocket for your home care. The local authority will pay for the rest.
To find out more about home care costs, see our article about paying for care at home.
How much does live-in care cost in Wales?
A live-in carer, which is when a carer comes to live in your home, costs around £900-£1400 per week on average.
Costs can be higher than this depending on the type of care you need, with more specialist live-in care costing as much as £2000 per week.
If you qualify for local authority funding, you may be able to have some of your fees paid for by the council, if they agree it is the best care option for you.
You can find out more about how a live-in carer could support you here.
Having a live-in carer generally costs more than moving into a care home, but this depends on your needs, choice of care home and financial circumstances. Learn more about how much live-in care will cost you compared to a care home here.
How can I arrange funding for home care?
Home care is usually funded privately or by the local authority. Some people qualify to have their care paid for by the NHS through NHS continuing healthcare funding.
Self-funded care is paid for privately. This can be by the person receiving the care or a loved one.
State-funded care is paid for by the local authority.
Only people who have under a certain amount of money can have their care funded by the state.
In Wales, you can only pay a maximum of £100 per week towards your home care. Your local authority will cover any additional fees, regardless of how much money you have.
Your local authority will conduct a financial assessment to determine how much money you have and whether you are eligible for funding.
Financial assessment
In a financial assessment, or means test, the local authority will calculate how much money you have in savings and income.
In Wales, if you have over £24,000, you will need to self-fund your home care.
If you have under £24,000, the financial assessment will only consider your income and decide how much you need to pay towards your home care, with the rest being covered by the council.
For further information about financial assessments, see our full article.
Minimum Income Guarantee
If you have your home care arranged by the local authority, they have to leave you a set amount each week to cover day to day living expenses. This is called Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG).
The amount depends on your circumstances; you can find out how much your MIG is likely to be here.
NHS continuing healthcare funding
In some circumstances, the NHS may pay for some or all of your home care through a package called NHS continuing healthcare funding.
You need to have an assessment for this to see if you are eligible. If you are assessed as having a ‘primary health need’, and your care is focused on treating or preventing this, then you may meet the criteria.
For more information on NHS continuing healthcare, see our full article.
What benefits can I claim when I need home care in Wales?
Regardless of whether you are self-funding or state-funding your home care, there are benefits available that you may be eligible for.
These include:
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Premiums
- Industrial Injuries Disablement
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
To find out more about eligibility and rates, see What benefits can I claim while receiving home care?
Home adaptations
If you have a disability or difficulties due to old age, you may be able to have adaptations made to your home to make it safer and more accessible for you.
Wales has the Support for Independent Living Scheme, through which small, medium and large adaptations can be made to your home. You may have to have a means test to see if you need to contribute financially to these changes, unless you rent your home from the local authority or housing association.
There is also the Disabled Facilities Grant, through which you could receive up to £36,000 for adaptations if eligible.
There is much more information on funding home adaptations here.
