What will care actually cost you?
Answer a few questions and we will show you the likely weekly cost, what your council may pay towards it, and what you would pay yourself. Based on the 2026 to 2027 thresholds and England-average fees. Your own council’s rate will differ.
What this means for you
Ask for a care needs assessment first, whatever your savings
It is free, anyone can ask, and it decides what care is actually needed. Without it you cannot get council funding, and you may miss things like reablement or equipment that reduce the cost.
You should be offered a home with no top-up
Councils must offer at least one placement that meets the assessed need within their own rate. A top-up is a choice, not a requirement, and it must be genuinely affordable long term.
Attendance Allowance and NHS continuing healthcare are separate
Attendance Allowance is not means tested and is worth asking about now. If the need is primarily a health need, NHS continuing healthcare can cover the whole cost, so ask for a checklist assessment.
The first 12 weeks of a care home stay are treated differently
If the property is the main asset, the council usually disregards it for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay, which gives you time to decide without a fire sale.
This is not financial advice. It is a guide based on published England averages, and only your council can decide what it will pay, after a care needs assessment and a financial assessment. Thresholds are for England, 2026 to 2027. Your own council’s rate, and your own circumstances, will differ.
Care homes: Self-funder fees from carehome.co.uk, 2026. Council rates from the LaingBuisson care homes market report. Care at home: Hourly ranges from homecare.co.uk, 2026. Council rate is the English average for 2026/27; the Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price at £34.42 an hour. Rates reviewed each April. Figures last updated 4 August 2026.