How much will I have to pay for care?

The council must carry out a financial assessment before charging you, and must leave you with a minimum amount to live on. Your home isn't always counted.

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Your rights

• A financial assessment before you're charged, with a written explanation.
• To keep a minimum amount of income each week.
• Your home isn't counted if a partner, or a relative who is over 60 or disabled, still lives there.
• When you move permanently into a care home, your home is ignored for the first 12 weeks.
• To ask for a deferred payment agreement, so you don't have to sell your home during your lifetime.

What to do next

1. Check the current capital limits on GOV.UK. They decide whether you pay.
2. Tell the council about disability-related costs. These can reduce your charge.
3. Check whether NHS Continuing Healthcare should be paying instead.
4. Ask Age UK (0800 678 1602) for a free benefits check.

Say this

“Please carry out a full financial assessment and give me a written breakdown of how my charge was worked out.”

The law behind it (England)

• Care Act 2014s.14 charging, s.17 financial assessment, s.34 deferred payments
• Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014what counts as capital and income

Elsewhere in the UK

Scotland

In Scotland, personal and nursing care is free for eligible adults. You may still pay accommodation costs in a care home.

Wales

In Wales, there's a weekly cap on non-residential care charges and a higher capital limit.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, domiciliary (home) care is free. Care home charges are means-tested.

Last reviewed: November 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. How we check our information.