One of the most common questions we get asked as a residential care provider in the UK is, who pays for care home fees? Who and how much you pay in care home fees will differ depending on your personal circumstances, where you live in the UK, what type of care you need, your savings, whether or not you own a home and the unique requirements of the care home provider you choose. 

Here, we offer a simple, expert guide to understanding care home fees, including knowing who is responsible for paying them, the cap on care home fees in the UK, and the average care home fees in 2022. 

If you’d like to find out more care home fees in relation to the services offered by Willow Grange, please do get in touch. Call us on 020 8399 8948 and speak to one of our friendly team members today. 

Who Pays for Care Home Fees? 

What portion of care home fees you will pay as a resident will depend on the state of your current finances, and whether or not you own a property. If you are covering the cost of residential care yourself, you’re known as a self-funder, alternatively, if your local authority is paying some or all of your care home fees, your care is known as state-funded. 

In order to determine the portion of care home fees your local authority will be willing to pay on your behalf, they will first need to carry out a care needs assessment. 

If the conclusion of this determines that you do require residential care, they will then conduct a ‘means test’. This will look at your income and capital in order to decide whether or not you qualify for financial help to cover your care home fees, and to what degree.

What is a Care Needs Assessment?

A care needs assessment will be conducted by your local authority and will assess your individual care needs and the best, most appropriate way to help you. During the assessment, you will be asked how you’re managing everyday tasks, such as washing, dressing, and cooking. 

You can request for a friend or family member to be with you during the assessment, and, if you need any help putting together your application, your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau will be able to help.  

NHS Funding

In circumstances where an individual’s needs are primarily health-based, they may be eligible for NHS funding to cover their care home fees. This is called the NHS continuing healthcare (NHS CHC). 

If you don’t meet the criteria for NHS CHC, but do require nursing care, the NHS will pay a portion of the cost towards your nursing care, the sum of which will go directly to the care home. 

Care Home Fees Residential Care

How Do I Go About Arranging Care If I’m Paying My Own Care Home Fees?

If you have savings worth more than £23,250, or you own your own property, you will not be entitled to financial help with paying your care home fees from your local council.  

As a ‘self funder’, you can arrange and pay for your care yourself without needing to involve the council. However, some local councils will arrange and pay your care home fees on your behalf and bill you later if you would prefer to do so. 

Even if you are funding your own care home fees, your local council can still conduct a needs assessment to check what type of care you may require. The assessment is free and can be requested by anyone. 

Average Care Home Fees, UK 2022

Research conducted by LaingBuisson here, found that the average residential care home fees range from £27,000 to £39,000 per annum, depending on where you live in the UK. 

In England, the average weekly care home cost for residential care is £681, while the weekly cost of nursing care is £979. 

But, where does all of that money go? Well, care home fees are often split into different categories. When considering a particular care home, be sure to ask for a breakdown of expected costs to ensure you’re not faced with hidden fees and additional costs. 

Is There a Cap On Care Home Fees? 

Currently, there is no cap on care home fees. However, from October 2023, the government is set to introduce a new £86,000 cap on the amount anyone in England will have to spend on personal care in their lifetime. 

The new cap will not cover the daily living costs of people in care homes, and individuals will remain responsible for their own daily living costs, including after they reach the cap. 

If you have any questions regarding paying care home fees or would like to find out more about the different care home funding options available to you, get in touch today. Call us on 020 8399 8948 and speak to one of our experienced, friendly team members today.