Costs
How much does home care cost in the UK?
Real UK home care costs per hour, per week and for live-in care, plus what drives the price and how to budget.
Read the guideSelf-funding care: a plain-English guide
What paying for your own care actually means, what it costs in 2026, the savings limits that decide who pays, and the help you can still get. Clear answers for you and your loved one.
What self-funding means
Self-funding just means paying for your own care.
When you ask the council for help with the cost, it looks at your savings, and sometimes your home. Above a set limit, you pay yourself. Below it, the council helps.
That is the heart of it. The four points below are all most people need at first. Each links to a fuller guide, so you can take what you need today and leave the rest.
The four things most people need to know
If you read nothing else here, read these four. Follow a link only when you're ready for more detail.
- What care costs. Home care is around £26 to £38 an hour in 2026. See full care costs.
- The savings limit. In England, above £23,250 you pay in full; below £14,250 your savings are ignored. How means testing works.
- Help you can still get. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested, up to £114.60 a week. Who qualifies and how to claim.
- If you live together. A husband or wife's home and savings are usually protected. The spouse protection.
Funding basics: your questions answered
Short, plain answers to the questions people ask me most about paying for care. Figures are for England and were last reviewed in July 2026.
Do I have to sell mum's house to pay for care?
Not always. If your mum is having care at home, the value of her home is not counted at all.
If she moves into a care home permanently, the home may be counted, but it is ignored if a husband, wife, partner or a dependent relative still lives there. There is also a 12-week disregard when someone first moves in, and a Deferred Payment Agreement can let the council take the fee from the house sale later instead of now.
What is the savings limit before you pay for care?
In England, if you have more than £23,250 in savings and eligible assets, you pay in full. Below £14,250, your savings are ignored (though your income still counts). Between the two, the council helps on a sliding scale.
Is Attendance Allowance means-tested?
No. Attendance Allowance does not depend on your savings or income. If your loved one is over State Pension age and needs help with personal care or supervision, it is worth claiming, whatever their financial situation.
Can my mum's pension be used to pay for her care?
Yes. Income such as the State Pension and most private pensions counts towards the cost of care, even when savings are low. The council leaves you a small weekly amount for personal spending, called the Personal Expenses Allowance.
What counts as savings in the financial assessment?
Money in bank and savings accounts, ISAs, premium bonds, stocks and shares, and second properties. Your main home is only counted for permanent care-home stays, and never for care at home. Personal belongings and the surrender value of most life insurance are ignored.
Want more detail? Start with these
Means testing
Savings thresholds and means testing
The £23,250 and £14,250 limits, how the council's financial assessment works, and the home and spouse protections.
Read the guide
Recognising the need
Signs mum needs more help at home
The everyday signs a parent needs more support at home, and the gentle next steps to take.
Read the guideWhat to do next
If you take one action today, check whether your loved one can claim Attendance Allowance. It is not means-tested and it is often missed.