How much does home care cost per hour?

The cost of home care, also known as domiciliary or in-home care, varies depending on where you live in the UK. Home care in the UK costs on average between £26–£38 per hour.

If you need home care for two hours a day at a rate of £30 per hour, you will pay:

• £420 per week
• £1,820 per month
• £21,840 a year

How much does live-in care cost?

Generally, live-in care fees start at around £900 to £1,400 per week, but it can be as much as £2,000 per week. The cost of 24-hour care at home will vary depending on your needs, what services you require and what provider you choose.

If you need 24-hour live-in care at a rate of £1,100 per week, this means you will pay:

• £4,730 per month (52 weeks a year divided by 12 months equals 4.3 weeks a month)
• £56,760 a year

When comparing quotes, work out the weekly and monthly cost based on the number of hours of care you expect to need. Remember to check whether the provider charges more for evenings, weekends or bank holidays.

Do I have to pay for home care in England?

Your local council may contribute to the cost of your home care. A needs assessment will first be carried out to determine the type of care you require. The council will then work out how much you need to contribute in a financial assessment — also known as a means test. How much you will pay depends on your salary and savings.

A Financial Assessment Officer will visit your home and look at earnings, pensions, benefits and savings. They don't need to know how much your possessions are worth or the value of any life insurance policies.

The means test won't look at the value of your property. As you are not going into a care or nursing home, the means test also won't consider the value of your property.

• If your capital is over £23,250, you will have to pay for the home care service in full.
• If you have between £14,250 and £23,250, the council will contribute some of the money required.
• If you have £14,250 or less in capital, your savings will not affect the financial assessment. However, the council can still take eligible income into account when deciding how much you need to contribute towards your care.

If the means assessment determines that you'll be required to cover the cost of care yourself, the council is required to provide information on how to get help in your area. If you paid your home care fees yourself to start with but you realise you are running out of money, the council might help with funding. When you get close to the £23,250 threshold, contact your local council to request an assessment as soon as possible.

NHS Continuing Healthcare

NHS CHC is a care package for people living in England or Wales who are over 18. It is funded by the NHS and covers the costs of your support needs if you require substantial long-term care. You can receive NHS CHC in your own home or if you are receiving residential care.

To be eligible, you must be assessed as having a primary health need, which means your main care needs relate to your health. There are two stages in the assessment process — an initial assessment and then a full assessment. NHS CHC is not means-tested.

Do I have to pay for home care in Scotland?

Everybody in Scotland can receive free personal and nursing care — but only if they have been assessed by their local authority as needing it. In Scotland you can get the following care for free:

• Help with bathing and oral hygiene
• Continence management
• Help preparing meals
• Support with taking medication
• Help getting in and out of bed

Your council may require you to pay for any other care you need. Charges vary depending on where in Scotland you live. Some councils do not provide their own care but organise it through a care agency instead.

COSLA recommends that councils disregard the first £10,000 of your savings if you are over State Pension age.

• If you have more than £10,000, a weekly tariff income of £1 for each £500 over £10,000 is assumed — so £14,000 in savings means an £8 weekly tariff income.
• If you are below State Pension age, the first £6,000 will be disregarded and the tariff income will be £1 per £250.

Do I have to pay for home care in Wales?

In Wales, all local authorities can only charge people receiving home care a maximum of £100 per week, regardless of how much money they have in savings and what services they receive.

• A capital limit of £24,000 is applied to people's savings and assets. Your home will not be taken into account, and any capital or savings below £24,000 must be fully disregarded as part of the means test.
• If you are in a couple, the financial assessment will only consider your share of your assets. Joint capital is normally treated as shared equally, unless there is evidence it's owned in different proportions.
• If you have less than £24,000 in savings or assets but have an income, this income will be taken into account when determining if you need to contribute and how much.

Minimum level of income

Welsh Government guidelines specify that you must have a minimum level of income to live on, so you will pay however much the means test determines you can afford. If the home care service you need costs the local authority £50 per week, you might only be charged £30 if that is what the means test deems you can afford. If your capital is over £24,000, the local authority can charge you the maximum amount (up to £100 per week).

NHS Continuing Healthcare (Wales)

NHS CHC is also available for people living in Wales who are over 18. It is not means-tested and covers the cost of ongoing significant care needs in someone's home or in a care home. There are two forms of CHC: standard and fast-track. Fast-track is for people whose health condition is rapidly worsening — many people on fast-track CHC are approaching the end of life. CHC is arranged and funded by the NHS.

Do I have to pay for home care in Northern Ireland?

In Northern Ireland, your local Health and Social Care Trust will assess your care needs to determine what help you are entitled to — whether it is help at home, home adaptations or financial assistance. The amount of care or financial support you will get depends on the needs assessment.

Your local trust can employ a care worker to help you at home, offering services such as washing, dressing, cooking and managing finances. They can also advise you on home adaptations you could receive payments for, such as handrails, and may provide a 'meals at home' service.

Additionally, you might be eligible for direct payments. You need to request direct payments yourself and the trust then decides if they agree.

What are direct payments?

If you receive care services, your local authority (or trust in Northern Ireland) will offer you the option of direct payments. Direct payments are paid straight into your chosen bank account, allowing you to manage your care services yourself rather than the local authority or trust doing this for you.

Direct payments are offered to:

• Disabled people aged 16 or over (with short or long-term needs)
• Disabled parents for children's services
• Carers aged 16 or over (including people with parental responsibility for a disabled child)
• Elderly people who need community care services

Your local authority decides how much you receive based on your needs assessment. You can use direct payments for services or equipment that meet your assessed needs — for example, to employ a care worker. They cannot be used for everyday living costs such as utility bills or food.

The council (or trust) should still be involved in your care and check in with you regularly. Direct payments do not affect any other benefits you receive.

What benefits can I claim in the UK if I have care needs?

Council funding is not the only financial help available. Depending on your age, health and circumstances, you may also be able to claim benefits that help with the wider costs of living with care needs — some are not means-tested and could help regardless of your savings.

Attendance Allowance

To be entitled to claim Attendance Allowance, you must have reached State Pension Age (over 65 depending on date of birth) and:

• Have a physical and/or mental disability, including learning difficulties.
• Require someone to care for you or supervise you because of your disability.
• Have needed that care for at least six months, unless you are terminally ill.

• Frequent help or constant care, day or night: £76.70 per week
• Help both day and night, or terminal illness: £114.60 per week

If you have a terminal illness and your remaining life expectancy is six months or less, there is no qualifying period, and if you are eligible you are entitled to the higher rate.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

People under State Pension age who require long-term care at home due to a disability or illness can claim PIP. The amount you receive is determined by how your condition affects you, not what it is. PIP is tax-free and non-means-tested — you can receive it whether you are working or not.

PIP rates shown for 2026/27. If you are terminally ill and not expected to live for more than six months, you will receive the higher daily living rate.

Industrial Injuries Disablement (IIDB)

If you are disabled as a result of an accident in the workplace, or an illness caused by work, you could be entitled to up to £233.90 per week. IIDB covers more than 70 diseases, including asthma, deafness and asbestos-related diseases. You generally need to be deemed at least 14% disabled to be eligible; the Government's guidelines say 20% disabled could mean £45.06 per week, up to £233.90 at 100% disabled. If you are eligible for IIDB you could also be entitled to Constant Attendance Allowance (CAA).

Constant Attendance Allowance (CAA)

CAA is available for people who are ill or disabled as a result of an injury and require constant care. You must receive IIDB or a War Disablement Pension to claim it. Rates for 2026/27:

• Part day – £46.80
• Full day – £93.60
• Intermediate – £140.40
• Exceptional – £187.20

Carer's Allowance (CA)

If you care for someone at least 35 hours per week you could be entitled to £86.45 a week (£345.80 a month), paid weekly or every four weeks. To qualify, you must:

• Spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone (no need to live with them or be related)
• Care for someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit
• Be at least 16 years old
• Not earn more than £204 per week after tax, national insurance and expenses
• Have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and normally live here
• Not be in full-time education or studying 21+ hours a week

Carer's Allowance is not means-tested, but there is a cap on earnings from work, and it is taxable if your other income is above the tax threshold. If you live in Scotland, you'll automatically receive the Scottish Carer Supplement — an extra £11.29 a week (2026/27). If you receive State Pension you won't be paid Carer's Allowance, but you may get extra Pension Credit or Housing Benefit instead.

Pension Credit (2026/27)

Pension Credit is a means-tested, two-part benefit for people with a lower income who have reached State Pension age. Guarantee Credit tops up weekly income to £238.00 (single) or £363.25 (couples). Savings Credit — only for those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 — can add up to £17.30 a week for single pensioners or £20.10 for couples.

Disability premiums

A disability premium is extra cash added to other benefits such as Housing Benefit. There are three kinds, and you can get more than one at once:

• Disability premium: £44.85/week single, £64.00 couples.
• Severe disability premium: £86.05 single, £165.80 couples (both eligible). Not claimable if your carer receives Carer's Allowance or the Universal Credit carer element.
• Enhanced disability premium: £22.00 single, £31.40 couples — only for people under Pension Credit age.

ESA support group (2026/27)

For people assessed as unable to return to work because of their disability or health condition — up to £145.90 per week (£95.55 rate + £50.35 support component). You cannot get ESA if you receive Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support or Universal Credit.

Council Tax discounts and exemptions

If you receive the daily living or mobility component of PIP, you may get money off your Council Tax bill — the amount depends on your PIP rate. This applies in England, Wales and Scotland; in Northern Ireland, reduced rates may be available through the Rate Relief Scheme.

Next steps

1. Request a needs and financial assessment. Contact your local authority (or Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland) to arrange a care needs assessment followed by a means test.
2. Check benefit eligibility. Review criteria for disability and care benefits — such as Attendance Allowance or PIP — which can help regardless of your savings.
3. Explore direct payments. Ask your local council if you want the flexibility to manage your care budget and hire your own care workers directly.

FAQs

How much does home care cost per hour in the UK?

Domiciliary home care typically costs between £26 and £38 per hour, though this varies by region and by the level of care required.

Is home care free on the NHS?

Home care is not automatically free. However, if you're assessed as having a primary health need under NHS Continuing Healthcare, your home care can be fully funded and is not means-tested.

What savings limit means I have to pay for my own home care?

This varies by nation. In England, if your capital is over £23,250 you'll usually need to pay in full; in Wales the maximum weekly charge is capped at £100 regardless of savings, subject to a £24,000 capital limit.

Can I get benefits to help pay for care even if I have savings?

Yes. Benefits such as Attendance Allowance, PIP, Carer's Allowance and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit are not means-tested, so your savings do not affect your eligibility.