UK Care Home Cost Calculator
Get a quick estimate of weekly and annual care home fees, plus how much your local council might contribute under the means test that took effect 6 April 2026. Free. No sign-up. No data stored. Built and reviewed by a working care-home operator.
Worked example: Margaret, 82, Greater Manchester
Margaret has been told she needs residential care after a fall. She lives near Manchester, has £20,000 in savings, and rents her flat (so no property is included in the means test). Her only income is the State Pension and a small private pension totalling about £230 per week.
Plug those numbers into the calculator (England · Residential · North of England · £20,000) and here's what happens:
- Weekly fee: £1,300 base × 0.85 (North of England multiplier) = £1,105/week
- Means-test zone: capital is between £14,250 and £23,250, so Margaret is in the "tariff income" zone
- Tariff calculation: (£20,000 − £14,250) ÷ £250 = £23/week treated as if it were income
- Margaret pays: £23 tariff + most of her income (about £100/week, after she keeps the £31.80 Personal Expenses Allowance) ≈ £123/week
- Council pays: ≈ £982/week
How UK care home funding works
Whether you pay for care yourself, get help from your local council, or qualify for full NHS funding depends on three things: where you live in the UK, your care needs, and your finances.
The means test (England)
Local authorities in England run a financial assessment using two thresholds, frozen since April 2010. The current 2026/27 figures are confirmed in the official social care charging circular published by the Department of Health and Social Care:
Above £23,250 in capital: you fund your own care in full.
Between £14,250 and £23,250: you pay £1 per week for every £250 above the lower limit (called "tariff income"), plus what you can afford from your income.
Below £14,250: your capital is ignored, but your income (pension, etc.) is still assessed.
Your parent keeps the Personal Expenses Allowance from their income — set at £31.80 per week for 2026/27 in England.
What about the house?
If your parent moves into a care home permanently, the value of their property is normally counted in the means test. But it is disregarded if a spouse, civil partner, dependent child, or qualifying relative still lives there. The first 12 weeks are also disregarded, and a Deferred Payment Agreement (DPA) lets the council put a charge on the property rather than force a sale. The interest rate on a DPA is set by government and adjusted twice a year — currently 4.75% (set 1 January 2026).
Different rules across the UK
Wales has a single, more generous threshold of £50,000.
Scotland provides free personal care; means-test thresholds for 2026/27 are £22,750 (lower) and £35,750 (upper).
Northern Ireland uses the same £14,250 / £23,250 thresholds as England.
NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care
If your parent's primary need is a health need rather than a social care one, the NHS may pay for everything regardless of finances under NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). Eligibility is assessed through the national CHC Framework (2022 revision) and is notoriously difficult to win — but it is worth requesting an assessment if their needs are complex. Use our NHS CHC Eligibility Checker to find out whether to request a CHC assessment.
If your parent doesn't qualify for full CHC but still needs nursing input in a nursing home, they may receive NHS-funded Nursing Care (FNC) — a flat NHS contribution of £267.68 per week (2026/27 standard rate) toward the nursing element of the placement.
How this calculator works (methodology)
The estimate above is built from three multiplicative inputs, then a means-test calculation:
- Base weekly cost by care type — UK national averages from Lottie's 2026 fee data and the carehome.co.uk Caring Britain 2026 report. Residential £1,300, nursing £1,500, dementia residential £1,400, dementia nursing £1,600.
- Regional multiplier applied — London ×1.20, South East ×1.15, North of England ×0.85, Wales ×0.85, rest of UK ×1.00. These reflect the regional fee spread observed in Lottie's 2026 data (£1,095 in NE England up to £1,456 in London for residential).
- Means-test rule applied per nation. England and NI use the £14,250 / £23,250 thresholds; Wales the single £50,000 threshold; Scotland the £22,750 / £35,750 thresholds plus the free personal care contribution.
- Tariff income calculated for the middle band (England/NI/Scotland): £1 per week per £250 of capital above the lower limit.
- Income contribution assumed to be approximately £100/week from State Pension and other income (after the Personal Expenses Allowance) — actual figure depends on each individual's pension and other income.
The result is a reasonable middle-ballpark estimate. It will be off by a few hundred pounds either way for any individual case because (a) actual home fees vary by ±20% within a region, (b) individual income varies, and (c) some councils set local rate caps below the actual home's fee, leading to "top-up" requirements not modelled here.
How to use this calculator
- Pick the UK nation where care will be provided. Funding rules are materially different — get this right.
- Choose the care type. If your parent needs registered nursing input (catheter care, complex wounds, IV medication, end-of-life care), pick "Nursing care". If their primary need is dementia, use one of the dementia options regardless of nursing requirement — dementia care attracts a premium.
- Pick the region. London and the South East are significantly more expensive; northern regions and Wales are typically cheaper. Use "Rest of UK average" if you're unsure.
- Enter total assets: savings plus property value (only enter property value if it would be counted — see "What about the house?" above).
What's NOT included in this calculator
- Attendance Allowance (£76.70 lower / £114.60 higher per week, 2026/27) — usually stops when the council funds a care home placement, but continues for self-funders.
- NHS-funded Nursing Care (FNC) (£267.68/week 2026/27 standard) — paid by the NHS toward the nursing portion of a nursing home placement when someone doesn't qualify for full CHC.
- NHS Continuing Healthcare — the NHS funds the entire package if eligible. Check our CHC eligibility checker separately.
- Top-up fees — if you choose a home that charges more than your council's standard rate, a third party (usually a family member) must pay the difference. Top-ups can run £100–£500/week and are a common surprise.
- One-off costs — admission fees, refundable deposits, and the cost of clothing, toiletries, hairdressing and chiropody, which residents typically pay from their Personal Expenses Allowance.
- Individual home variation. Within any region, the cheapest and most expensive homes can differ by 50%. The estimate is a regional middle, not a quote.
- Carer's Allowance (£86.45/week 2026/27) for the unpaid family carer — relevant if care is provided at home, not in a residential setting.
Every figure in this tool — base costs, regional multipliers, means-test thresholds, benefit rates, and the FNC contribution — is verified annually against the official 2026/27 social care charging circular, current Department for Work and Pensions benefit rates, the carehome.co.uk Caring Britain 2026 industry report, and Lottie's 2026 fee data. Source URLs are linked inline above so you can cross-check.
The calculator and supporting content are reviewed by Hinesh Patel, owner-operator of Birkdale Village Care Home and a UK care-sector professional with over a decade of frontline experience helping families navigate care home placements, means tests, and NHS funding. The methodology is published openly above so you can see exactly how the numbers are produced.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a care home cost per week in the UK?
In 2026, the average self-funded weekly cost is around £1,300 for residential care and £1,500 for nursing care. Dementia care typically runs £1,400–£1,600. London is around 12–20% higher; northern regions and Wales are typically 10–15% lower. Source: Lottie 2026 data and the carehome.co.uk Caring Britain 2026 report.
Will the council pay if my parent has no savings?
If their capital is below £14,250 in England (different in other UK nations) and a needs assessment confirms they require care, the council will fund the placement, though they will use most of your parent's pension and other income towards the cost. Your parent keeps a Personal Expenses Allowance — £31.80 per week in 2026/27 in England.
Can I gift my parent's house to avoid care fees?
No. Local authorities can challenge "deliberate deprivation of assets" and treat the home as if it were still owned. There is no time limit on how far back they can look. Take regulated financial advice before any major asset transfer.
Is there a cap on lifetime care costs in 2026?
No. The previously-planned £86,000 lifetime cap and £100,000 upper capital limit (originally scheduled for October 2025) were scrapped by the Labour government in July 2024 — they are not delayed, they are not happening. There is currently no cap on what an individual may spend on care in their lifetime in England. The Casey Commission on adult social care reform is ongoing but no replacement cap has been announced.
Does this include Attendance Allowance?
Not in the calculator above. Attendance Allowance for 2026/27 is £76.70 per week (lower rate) or £114.60 per week (higher rate). It is non-means-tested and can help with care at home, but it usually stops if the council is funding a care home placement. Self-funders generally continue to receive it.
What is NHS-funded Nursing Care (FNC)?
NHS-funded Nursing Care is a flat-rate weekly NHS contribution toward registered nursing in a nursing home, paid when someone is not eligible for full NHS Continuing Healthcare but still needs nursing input. The 2026/27 standard rate in England is £267.68 per week (£368.24 per week at the higher rate, for those previously on the high-band). It is paid directly to the home, reducing what you pay.
What is the difference between a care home and a nursing home?
A residential care home provides personal care (washing, dressing, meals, support with daily living). A nursing home additionally has registered nurses on site 24 hours a day, providing clinical care for residents with significant medical needs (catheter management, complex wound care, end-of-life care, PEG-tube feeding). Nursing homes typically cost £200–£300 per week more than residential homes.
Should I request an NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment?
If your parent's needs are primarily about health rather than social care — they need skilled nursing oversight, complex symptom management, or supervision because of severe cognitive or behavioural issues — then yes. CHC is non-means-tested and the NHS pays the full cost if eligible. Use our NHS CHC Eligibility Checker for a 10-question assessment based on the official 2022 National Framework.
Last updated: May 2026. Sources: DHSC social care charging circular 2026/27; Lottie 2026 care home cost data; DWP benefit and pension rates 2026/27.