UK estate figures › Care costs

Care costs · UK weekly average

£1,299/wk

residential care

£1,535/wk

nursing care

UK averages. Self-funders pay in full until their capital falls to £23,250 (England).

An LPA must be in place before a person loses capacity — it cannot be made after.

Source: GOV.UK · checked 27 Oct 2026

§1What it means

At £1,299 a week, residential care can exhaust a lifetime's savings in under five years.

At a glance

Who pays for care home fees?

Above £23,250

Expected to self-fund their care entirely.
That includes the value of the home unless a qualifying person still lives in it.

Between £14,250 and £23,250

A contribution based on assets is required.

Below £14,250

The local authority funds care in full (subject to a means test).

NHS Continuing Healthcare

If eligible, the NHS pays all care costs — including in a care home — regardless of the person's assets.

Funding rules differ in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

In England, anyone with assets above £23,250 is expected to fund their own care entirely. That includes the value of the home unless a qualifying person still lives in it. At average residential rates, an estate of £300,000 would be substantially depleted within three to four years. A guided care-fees intake works out that runway against a family's own savings and the actual home rate, not just the national average.

The two most important things a family can do before care is needed: (1) ensure a Lasting Power of Attorney is in place — without it, a Court of Protection order is required to manage finances, at much greater cost and delay.

(2) understand the funding rules so no assets are unnecessarily exposed.

Worked example

A 79-year-old man with assets of £280,000 (including a property valued at £210,000 — his wife has died and his children live elsewhere) enters a care home at £1,299/week.

His assets exceed £23,250he self-funds in full

Property is included in the means testno qualifying person remains in the home

At £1,299/week (£67,548/year), his £280,000 would lastapproximately 4 years

Once assets fall to £23,250, local authority contribution begins

Without an LPA, his children cannot manage his financesa Court of Protection order is needed

§2Common questions

Care funding, answered.

The average weekly cost of residential care in the UK is around £1,299 (approximately £67,548 a year).

Nursing care — where a registered nurse is on site — averages around £1,535 per week (approximately £79,820 a year). Costs vary significantly by region, with London and the South East typically 20–40% above the national average.

In England, anyone with assets above £23,250 (the upper capital limit) is expected to self-fund their care entirely. Between £14,250 and £23,250, a contribution based on assets is required.

Below £14,250, the local authority funds care in full (subject to a means test). The family home may be included in the asset assessment unless a qualifying person (a spouse, dependent, or certain carers) still lives there.

Not always. The home is excluded from the means test if the person's spouse or civil partner, a dependent child under 18, or a sibling who has lived there for at least a year still lives in it.

A family carer who has lived in the home for at least two years and given up their own home to provide care is also protected. If none of these apply, the home's value is typically counted.

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of care funded entirely by the NHS when a person's primary need is a health need (rather than a social care need).

If eligible, the NHS pays all care costs — including in a care home — regardless of the person's assets.

Eligibility is assessed using a national framework; around 1–2% of care home residents qualify. It is worth requesting an assessment if health needs are significant.

A deferred payment agreement (DPA) allows a person to delay paying care home fees until after they die or choose to sell their home.

The local authority pays the fees and places a legal charge on the property. This prevents the person from being forced to sell the family home to fund immediate care costs.

Interest is charged on the deferred amount. Not all councils offer DPAs automatically — it must be requested.

§3Related next steps

Averages are indicative and England-specific unless noted. Funding rules differ in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Figure checked 27 Oct 2026.

Cite this figure: Valoren, “UK Care Costs,” https://valoren.uk/figures/care-costs (checked 27 Oct 2026).

Figures checked against gov.uk 27 OCT 2026 · The Figure Watch