If you are starting to pay for care at home, the first question is usually the hardest to get a straight answer to: what does it actually cost? Here is a plain, honest picture for 2026, with the figures traced to their source.
The short version: home care usually costs somewhere around £25 to £35 an hour, and prices vary a lot by area and by how much care is needed. Always get a written quote before you commit to anything.
- Typical hourly, weekly and live-in costs
- What pushes the price up or down
- Hourly visits vs live-in care, compared honestly
- The help that can bring the cost down
How much does home care cost per hour?
Age UK puts the typical figure at around £25 an hour, though many private agencies charge more, and £30 to £35 is common.
For a useful benchmark, the Homecare Association, the membership body for home care providers, says councils should pay a minimum of £34.42 an hour in 2026/27. That figure is built up from fair pay for the carer, their travel and the cost of running a safe service, so it is a good guide to what an hour of care really costs to provide.
What a week of home care might cost
Work it out from the hours, not a headline figure. A simple example:
- Two one-hour visits a day, every day, is about 14 hours a week.
- At roughly £30 an hour, that is around £420 a week, or £1,800 a month.
- Fewer, shorter visits cost less. Overnight or waking-night care costs more.
These are illustrations, not quotes. The only reliable number is a written quote from a provider for the actual hours your loved one needs.
Live-in care
Live-in care, where a carer lives in the home, is often around £1,000 to £1,600 a week, and more where needs are complex. It can look expensive next to a few visits, but for someone who needs help throughout the day it often compares well with a care home, and keeps them in their own home.
A carer who sleeps over costs less than one who has to be awake through the night, so it is worth being clear about which you need.
What drives the price up or down
- How many hours, and how often. More hours and more visits cost more.
- Time of day. Early mornings, evenings, weekends and bank holidays usually carry a premium.
- How specialist the care is. Complex needs, such as advanced dementia or hoisting, cost more.
- Where you live. London and the South East are dearer than most of the country.
Hourly visits vs live-in care
A few short visits a day suit someone who needs help with specific tasks: getting up, medication, meals, getting to bed. Once needs go beyond roughly 8 to 10 hours a day, live-in care can work out similar in cost and gives constant support. I weigh this up honestly, against a care home too, in my home support vs residential care guide.
The help that can bring the cost down
Paying for care does not mean getting nothing back. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested and can put up to £114.60 a week towards the cost, whatever your savings.
Whether the council helps depends on savings. In England, above £23,250 you pay in full; below that, help starts on a sliding scale. My savings thresholds and means testing guide explains exactly how that works. Check both before you assume you must pay the full amount yourself.
Sources
The figures here were checked against the sources below. Rates and market prices change, so confirm the current figure before you rely on it. Last reviewed: July 2026.
