Paying for care
Care services aren't usually provided free of charge. Find out whether you're entitled to help with the costs on Age UK.
Homecare: how to find the care you need at home
If you're having trouble with everyday tasks around the home, homecare could really help. There's a range of services available, whether you need help with housework, personal care or some equipment to adapt your home.
What is homecare?
Homecare services can help you to look after yourself and your home so that you can stay independent for longer.
When might I need to consider getting homecare?
If you're struggling to manage with day-to-day tasks, you might find that getting some help around the home really helps. There are lots of different homecare services available, depending on what kind of help you need. These include:
- help with personal care, such as getting into and out of bed, washing, getting dressed and going to the toilet
- help with tasks around the house, such as cleaning and preparing meals
- fitting equipment to adapt your home, like stairlifts
- going to a day centre.
You may need care services at home on a temporary or short-term basis, for example to help you recover after a stay in hospital. Or you may need care services at home on a longer-term basis, to help you to live as independently as possible for as long as possible in your own home.
You may be entitled to help from your local council with arranging and paying for care services. Alternatively, you may be making your own arrangements and meeting the full cost of your care.
How do I get help with homecare from my local council?
The first step with getting help from your local council is to ask them for a care needs assessment. You shouldn't be charged for a care needs assessment, and you're entitled to one regardless of your income and savings.
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Your local council use the care needs assessment to find out what your needs are and whether your needs meet the eligibility criteria. This is called having 'eligible' needs.
If your needs don't meet the eligibility criteria, your local council should still give you information and advice on the other options available to you.
If your council agree that you have eligible needs, they'll carry out a financial assessment to see if you're entitled to their help with the cost of the care services you need.
Will I have to pay for homecare?
If your council agree that you have eligible care needs following your care needs assessment, they'll carry out a financial assessment to work out whether you're entitled to help with the cost of your care.
The financial assessment looks at your income, such as pensions and benefits, and capital, such as savings, to work out whether you're entitled to help with care costs.
If you're having care services at home and you're a homeowner, then assessment of your capital won't include the value of the property you live in.
If you have more than £23,250 of capital included in the financial assessment, you're not entitled to help with care costs from the local council.
If you're entitled to help with care costs, the council use the financial assessment to work out whether you can be charged anything to towards the cost of your care.
When the council is working out how much you can be charged, they must make sure you're left with a minimum level of income for day-to-day costs, known as your 'Minimum Income Guarantee' (MIG). You must also be left with money for housing-related costs, like rent.
Can I arrange my own homecare?
If you're entitled to help with care costs from your local council, they can provide you with their funding in the form of direct payments.These are regular payments paid by the council directly to you, or a person you trust, to allow you to arrange your own care. However, you don't have to agree to direct payments – you can ask your council to arrange care services for you instead.
Find out more about direct payments
You may be arranging your own care in circumstances where you're not entitled to help with care costs from your council. This is called being a 'self-funder'.
Where should I look if I'm arranging homecare myself?
If you're looking for homecare services, there are lots of options available to you, including:
- Homecare agencies must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which regulates health and care services in England. You can search for local homecare providers on the CQC's website.
- The Homecare Association can give you details of homecare providers that follow its code of practice.
- Your local council's adult social services department should be able to provide you with details of approved private care agencies.
- It can also be worth asking friends or relatives for recommendations of care providers that they've used.
Can I get help with housework and gardening?
You might not be able to get help from your local council if you just need help with housework, gardening or shopping.
Get in touch with your local Age UK or search for help in your local area from the Royal Voluntary Service to see whether they may be able to help you with these kinds of daily tasks.
It may still be a good idea to get an assessment by your local council to discuss your options, even if they're not able to help with these tasks.
What if I've recently been discharged from hospital?
If you've recently been discharged from hospital, you should've had an initial assessment to make sure that you're discharged safely. Many hospitals now use a 'discharge to assess' or 'home first' approach to hospital discharge planning as there's no longer a requirement to carry out a care needs assessment before you leave the hospital.
Hospital staff should make sure support services and any equipment are ready for you before you're sent home. If you need home adaptations, you may have to consider interim care in the meantime.
It's a good idea to clarify any cost of services being offered when you're discharged, as there may be different rules in different areas.
After a period of recovery, there'll be an assessment of your long-term needs. You may be assessed for NHS continuing healthcare, if staff believe you may be eligible. If not, a local authority care needs assessment will determine whether you're eligible for local authority support.
The care needs assessment will look at whether you're eligible for at-home help, such as support with personal care or getting around your home.
We're here to help
We offer support through our free advice line on 0800 678 1602. Lines are open 8am-7pm, 365 days a year. We also have specialist advisers at over 120 local Age UKs.