Paying for care homes

Find out what the different funding options are if you need to move into a care home.

What care homes will cost you

There are different types of care home, including residential homes and nursing homes.

They vary in cost depending on the type of home you choose and the amount and type of care you need.

Standard residential care homes in Sutton cost from £950 a week.

Learn more about the different types of care home

Check you’re eligible for council care

If you think you might benefit from care, you should request a care needs assessment.

An assessment will show us if you’re eligible to receive care that we arrange, and what kind of care or support would be best.

You might also want to explore what support is available for living in your own home.

Working out what you'll pay for your care (financial assessment)

If you've had a care needs assessment that shows you're eligible for care, we'll ask you to complete a financial assessment. This will show us how much you’ll need to pay towards your care.

Most people have to pay something towards their care.

If you have more than £23,250 in savings, property or investments, you'll have to pay for all your own care.

Learn more about paying for your own care (self-funding)

If you have less than £23,250 in savings, property or investments, you might receive help paying for your care.

Learn more about how we work out what you'll pay (financial assessment)

When you might not pay anything for your care

You might not have to pay anything for your care if you:

When we take the value of your property into account

If you own a property, we'll take its value into account when we work out what you can afford to pay.

If you own the property with someone else, we'll only count your share of the value.

If you have more than one property, all your properties will be included in the assessment.

12-week property disregard

For the first 12 weeks you’re in a care home, we won’t count the value of your main home. We call this the 12-week property disregard. This gives you time to decide how you want to fund your care.

You'll need to pay towards your care costs from income or other sources during this time.

During the 12 week period, you might want to consider:

  • selling your home
  • renting it out
  • releasing money from your home (equity)
  • applying for our deferred payment scheme for homeowners

If you sell your home during the disregard period, we'll count the proceeds as capital.

Someone cannot move into the property during the 12-week disregard period. If this happens, we'll still include its value in the assessment.

When we do not take the value of your property into account

We won't include the value of your property in the financial assessment if any of these people will continue to live there:

  • your partner or spouse
  • a close relative over 60
  • a relative under 60 who is incapacitated
  • a divorced or estranged partner who is a lone parent
  • a child under 16 who you maintain

Selling your home

If you need to move into a care home permanently, you might have to sell your property to cover the cost.

If you do not want to sell your home, there might be other ways to pay for your care home costs.

Renting out your home

You might want to rent out your home and use the money to help pay for your care home fees.

Releasing money from your home (equity)

If you're over 55, you might be able to take some money from the value of your home.

Read more about equity release on the Age UK website

Taking out a homeowner loan (deferred payment scheme)

If you own your home, you can get a loan from the council to pay for your care home costs.

Learn more about loans to pay for care homes

If your care home stay is temporary

If your stay at a care home is temporary, we’ll expect you to pay towards the cost but the value of your home will not be included in the assessment.

Money to cover everyday costs (personal expenses allowance)

When we work out how much you'll pay towards your care, we make sure that you’re left with enough money to cover everyday expenses. This is called a personal expenses allowance.

The government sets this amount every year. From April 2024 it is set at £30.15 per week.

Choosing a more expensive care home

If you'd prefer a care home that's more expensive than the one we've chosen, you can ask friends or family members to help pay the difference.

This is called a third party top-up fee.

Learn more about top up payments for care homes

When you might need to move to a different care home

If you're already living in a care home when we do your financial assessment, you might need to move to a different home if your current one is too expensive.

You can look into ways to pay the difference, like getting help from family or friends using top-up payments.

If your savings run out

If you're paying for your own care, you might qualify for financial help if your capital drops below £23,250.

You can ask us to reassess you to find out what you’re eligible for. If possible, let us know 3 months before your capital is likely to fall below £23,250.

Find out about NHS-funded care

If you have long term complex health needs, the NHS may fund your care home.

Learn more about NHS continuing healthcare

If you need nursing care in a care home, you may be able to get help to pay for it.

Learn more about NHS funded nursing care

Check what benefits you can get

After you’ve moved into a care home, you may still be able to get some benefits.

Find out more about care homes and benefits at Turn2Us.org.uk

Get financial advice from an expert

We're not allowed to give advice about your money and paying for care. We strongly recommend seeking independent financial advice from an expert.

You can contact the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA). They may charge a fee for their services.