Funding your care depends on your personal circumstances, and the type of care you are hoping to receive – different systems are in place for care in a nursing home or facility, or for domiciliary care in your own home. A simple home assessment can help determine how much you need to pay towards your care, and will depend on whether you live alone, and your income, and you savings.

In England and Northern Ireland, to qualify for financial support for domiciliary care, your savings must not exceed £23,000 (£22,000 in Wales and £22,500 in Scotland). This does not include the value of your home. If these are joint savings, you will only be assessed for half their value, and extra savings in the name of your spouse or partner will not be assessed. Your income is assessed after housing and disability-related costs are taken into account, and you will then be responsible for paying for your care on a sliding scale according to your means.

Domiciliary care allows you to stay in your own home and receive care, and in some cases adaptations to your house to aid with movement or daily tasks if you have a disability or limited mobility. The care you receive at home might include assistance with personal hygiene, day-to-day tasks, cooking, shopping, cleaning, engaging in social activities or administering medication.

For care in a care home or nursing home, your local authority will usually provide funding for your care up to a certain limit, according to your income and savings. As with care in your own home, this limit has been set at £23,000 in England and Northern Ireland (and £22,000 or £22,500 in Wales and Scotland respectively). If you move into a care home while a family member is still living in your home, the value of your property will not contribute to your assets. Non-means-tested financial help is available from the NHS for nursing care.

You will need to contribute towards care home fees in relation to your assets – £1 per week for each £250 above lower limits (£14,000 in England and Northern Ireland, £20,750 in Wales, and £13,750 in Scotland). You will be able to keep £21.90 of income per week for personal expenses.