When moving to a care home, one of the biggest questions many people have is how to pay for care and what costs are involved with paying for a care home. If you or a loved one are looking at moving into a care home there are a number of options available to you to pay for care. We talk you through some of the options and steps you should take and what advice is out there to help inform your decision.

 

Do I have to Pay for a Care Home Myself?

If you are moving into a care home permanently and your capital is above £23,250 you may have to pay for your care home stay yourself. If you own a house and are moving into a care home permanently, this may be taken into account when you are evaluated to see if you can afford to pay for care. However, before moving to care you will be evaluated by your local council to see if you are eligible for any additional support to help pay for your residential living costs. Care home funding is common for those with lower levels of income or capital and your local authority may be able to help with funding if you are struggling to pay for a care home.

 

Will I receive Local Authority Funding for Care Homes?

When evaluating whether you are eligible for support paying for a care home, your local council will carry out a care needs assessment to see what sort of care you require. They will also look at your income and capital to see how much you should have to pay towards your care home costs. Some examples of your income may include things such as a private or state pension, income on any savings you may have or any benefits you may be entitled to such as Pension Credit etc. These will also be included when evaluating your capital to see if you are eligible for local authority funding for your care home.

At this point, you should check to make sure that you are receiving all of the benefits you may be entitled to as these will be included when evaluating how much you should be contributing to care home payments regardless of if you have applied for them. If your income is worked out to be less than £23,250 then you should be entitled to local authority funding for your care home although you may still be required to contribute something to your care home costs.

 

What if I am Self-Funded and Paying for a Care Home?

If you are self-funding your care home costs then you will do this by paying the care home directly. If you are self-funded and your capital is below £23,250 without the inclusion of your house, then you may be eligible for local authority funding for care for the first 12 weeks you are living in permanent care. After this, any additional costs will be recouped from the sale of your home. In addition to this, you will be eligible for Attendance Allowance which is not means-tested and this can help contribute towards the costs of your care. 

 

Where Can I Find More Advice About Paying for a Care Home?

We know that when moving into a care home there can be a number questions you may have about how you pay for your care home. If you are looking for more information on paying for a care home, take a look at our dedicated page Who Pays for Your Care here for your questions answered or visit our advice page for a number of external resources to help you start your care home journey.

 

We are always here to help. So if you have any questions about our care homes, get in touch online or call 01384 217900 to talk to a member of our team and find out more about how we can help you.

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