Funding Care

Some people will have to contribute towards their care fees. Your local council will work out how much you may have to pay by doing a financial assessment.

Your financial assessment

Before you receive care, you'll have a financial assessment with your local council. The council will look at your income and capital and decide how much you may have to pay towards your care home fees.

Examples of income include:

Your capital might include:

Before your financial assessment, make sure you're getting all the benefits you're entitled to. This is important because your contribution to your care home fees will be worked out as if you're receiving all relevant benefits.

No matter how much you have to pay towards your care home fees, you must be left with £21.15 a week to spend as you choose. If you get the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, you will keep getting it. You'll also get up to £5.25 per week of any savings credit if you are over 65.

Capital and the value of your home

If you have over £22,250 in capital you will be assessed as being able to meet the full cost of your care.

Your capital will be counted as generating an income according to the following table:

Amount of capital you have	How your capital is used to calculate your contribution to your care home fees
Over £22,250	You will be assessed as being able to meet the full cost of your care
Between £13,500 and £22,250	Capital between these amounts will be calculated as providing you with an income of £1 per week for every £250 of your savings
£13,500 or under	Your capital will be ignored in calculating how much you have to contribute to the cost of your care

If you own your home then it will usually be counted as capital 12 weeks after you move permanently into a care home. The value of your home will not be counted as capital if certain close relatives still live there.