General information, not legal or financial advice. Each benefit office decides its own case — when in doubt, tell them and ask in writing. Get advice from a solicitor, a benefits adviser or the council before deciding to sell or let the home, if NHS continuing healthcare is refused, if the family disagrees about who should act, or if money or property is being given away.
One list for the kitchen table: every organisation to tell, with a tick box and a date. 71 organisations across the four nations, in six groups, each with what to tell them, how, and what changes. The spreadsheet holds the same list for Excel or Google Sheets, so the family can share it. Nothing on either is filled in for you.
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Four answers give you your own column of the tables below, and your dates. Choose the nation, who pays, whether the stay is permanent, and what happens to the home. Add the day they move in to see the dates. Nothing you choose leaves this page.
England · council-funded
Add the day they move in to see the dates — when the 28 days run out, and when the home starts to count.
Paid for the first 28 days, then stops while the council pays any part of the cost of accommodation, board or personal care — even a small part.
Paid for the first 28 days, then stops while the council pays any part of the cost.
The care-home rules stop only the daily living and care parts. GOV.UK puts it as "might still be able to get" the mobility parts of PIP and DLA.
Paid for the first 28 days, then not payable while public money meets the costs (Decision Makers' Guide 61715–61716).
Report the move. After 4 weeks in a care home, also report any change in who pays the fees, a temporary stay becoming permanent, a move to another home, or a hospital stay. Assessed income period (AIP): "Your Pension Credit award letter will tell you if you have an AIP." If they have one, GOV.UK says it "will end if your household circumstances change, for example if you move into a care home", and "You'll get a letter saying your AIP has ended." The extra amount for severe disability goes with Attendance Allowance or PIP daily living, so it may end when they do. A couple's joint claim may need to become two single claims after a permanent move: nidirect says so for Northern Ireland; ask the Pension Service.
It is counted as income in the council's financial assessment. Tell the Pension Service after the move — even for a temporary stay. (GOV.UK's care-home page says "any other benefits you get will stop"; State Pension does not.)
It depends on their Attendance Allowance or PIP daily living, so it is likely to end when that stops after 28 days (read from the qualifying-benefit rule; GOV.UK does not say it in one sentence).
Report it: GOV.UK lists going into a care home as a change for Housing Benefit, and for Universal Credit says use the online account. We found no Great Britain rule to quote on what then happens to housing payments; expect them to end on a permanent move, and ask.
Can still be paid in a care home — unless they get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related ESA and lived in a care home for the whole time from 29 June 2026 or earlier.
If the home is left empty after a permanent move, it is exempt for as long as it stays empty (Class E) — apply, it is not automatic. If a husband, wife or partner still lives there it is not empty: the resident is not counted, so one adult left alone gets 25% off. A short stay does not usually qualify, because Class E needs the care home to have become their main home.
Ignored for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay, then counted — unless a partner, a relative aged 60 or over or incapacitated, or a child under 18 still lives there. Leave and re-enter within 52 weeks and the unused weeks carry over.
Paid in the same way: it is available whoever funds the rest of the fees.
A resident of an eligible care home who is retired and over 60, or disabled, can get a reduced-price licence — the housing manager checks and applies. Otherwise their room needs its own licence. The free licence for over-75s needs Pension Credit.
The home: Council Tax: exempt while empty after a permanent move (Class E) — apply, it is not automatic.
Show the 43 organisations to tell in England →Worked out by plain calendar arithmetic from the date you entered. Each office makes its own decision; where a date matters, confirm it with them in writing.
Find the nation, then the card for the benefit, then the line for who pays. "Carries on" and "Stops from day 29" are the rules as the law and the official guidance state them. "Ask in writing" marks the places where the guidance is unclear or the answer depends on facts only the office can check — we say why in the cell rather than guess.
Which route are you on? The capital limits
The value of the home is ignored for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay — see the row on the home in each table.
DWP pays these benefits across Great Britain. Wales differs from England only where a line says so. 13 benefits and bills, each with its source, read 10 October 2026.
| Benefit or bill | Self-funded: They pay the whole cost, alone or with family or a charity — not the council | Council-funded: The council (in Northern Ireland, the HSC Trust) pays any part of it | NHS-funded: The NHS pays the whole placement (NHS continuing healthcare) | Short stay: Respite or a temporary stay, whoever pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance AllowanceTell: DWP Attendance Allowance helpline | Carries on While their own money — or their own with help from family or a charity — meets the whole cost. If the NHS pays a nursing contribution, see the note below. | Stops from day 29 Paid for the first 28 days, then stops while the council pays any part of the cost of accommodation, board or personal care — even a small part. | Stops from day 29 GOV.UK: most benefits usually stop within 28 days of admission when NHS continuing healthcare funds the stay. | Paid for 28 days Paid for the first 28 days, whoever pays. Stays no more than 28 days apart are added together. |
If the NHS also pays a nursing contribution: GOV.UK's summary lists it as a trigger, but the regulations test whether public money pays for accommodation, board or personal care, and nursing by a registered nurse is not on that list. Tell the office exactly how the fees are paid and ask in writing whether it affects the award. | ||||
Basis · source Law AA Regulations 1991 reg 7AA Regulations 1991 reg 8SSCBA 1992 s.67GOV.UK · AA eligibilityGOV.UK · benefits in a care home (published 3 February 2026)DWP Decision Makers' Guide ch.61Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| PIP — daily living partTell: DWP PIP enquiry line | Carries on While their own money, or family or a charity, meets the whole cost. The note on the NHS nursing contribution under Attendance Allowance applies here too. | Stops from day 29 Paid for the first 28 days, then stops while the council pays any part of the cost. | Stops from day 29 GOV.UK: usually stops within 28 days when NHS continuing healthcare funds the stay. | Paid for 28 days The first 28 days are paid. Separate stays no more than 28 days apart count as one (reg 32). |
Basis · source Law PIP Regulations 2013 reg 28PIP Regulations 2013 reg 30PIP Regulations 2013 reg 32Welfare Reform Act 2012 s.85GOV.UK · benefits in a care home (published 3 February 2026)Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| PIP or DLA — mobility partTell: DWP (PIP enquiry line or Disability Service Centre) | Carries on The care-home rules stop only the daily living and care parts. | Carries on The care-home rules stop only the daily living and care parts. GOV.UK puts it as "might still be able to get" the mobility parts of PIP and DLA. | Ask in writing Can stop after 28 days. Where the NHS funds the whole place in a home that employs doctors or nurses and treats them there, DWP may treat the home like a hospital (Decision Makers' Guide 61821). Ask in writing. | Carries on In a care home, yes. A hospital stay of more than 28 days is different: both parts can stop. |
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · benefits in a care home (published 3 February 2026)PIP Regulations 2013 reg 28DWP Decision Makers' Guide ch.61Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| DLA — care part (adults still on DLA)Tell: DWP Disability Service Centre | Carries on GOV.UK: a self-funder may be able to keep the care and mobility parts. | Stops from day 29 Paid for the first 28 days, then not payable while public money meets the costs (Decision Makers' Guide 61715–61716). | Stops from day 29 GOV.UK: usually stops within 28 days when NHS continuing healthcare funds the stay. | Report it GOV.UK's DLA page asks for a report of any stay of more than 2 days, and of any change in how the fees are paid. |
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · DLA changesGOV.UK · benefits in a care home (published 3 February 2026)DWP Decision Makers' Guide ch.61Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Pension CreditTell: The Pension Service | Carries on Report the move. After 4 weeks in a care home, also report any change in who pays the fees, a temporary stay becoming permanent, a move to another home, or a hospital stay. Assessed income period (AIP): "Your Pension Credit award letter will tell you if you have an AIP." If they have one, GOV.UK says it "will end if your household circumstances change, for example if you move into a care home", and "You'll get a letter saying your AIP has ended." The extra amount for severe disability goes with Attendance Allowance or PIP daily living, so it may end when they do. A couple's joint claim may need to become two single claims after a permanent move: nidirect says so for Northern Ireland; ask the Pension Service. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · Pension Credit changesGOV.UK · Pension Credit amountsnidirect · care homes and benefitsRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| State PensionTell: The Pension Service | Carries on It is counted as income in the council's financial assessment. Tell the Pension Service after the move — even for a temporary stay. (GOV.UK's care-home page says "any other benefits you get will stop"; State Pension does not.) | |||
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · Pension Service changesnidirect · care homes and benefitsGOV.UK · benefits in a care home (published 3 February 2026)Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Carer's Allowance (the carer's own benefit)Tell: DWP Carer's Allowance Unit | Ask in writing Continues only while the person still gets a qualifying benefit (such as Attendance Allowance or PIP daily living) and you still care for them 35 hours a week. Report the move. | Stops from day 29 It depends on their Attendance Allowance or PIP daily living, so it is likely to end when that stops after 28 days (read from the qualifying-benefit rule; GOV.UK does not say it in one sentence). | Stops from day 29 As for a council-funded place: likely to end when their qualifying benefit stops. | Report it GOV.UK: report a hospital, nursing-home or respite stay of more than 12 weeks, or a break in caring of more than 28 days for any other reason. |
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · Carer's Allowance eligibilityGOV.UK · Carer's Allowance breaksGOV.UK · Carer's Allowance changesRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costsTell: The council (Housing Benefit) or the UC journal | Report it Report it: GOV.UK lists going into a care home as a change for Housing Benefit, and for Universal Credit says use the online account. We found no Great Britain rule to quote on what then happens to housing payments; expect them to end on a permanent move, and ask. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · Housing Benefit changesGOV.UK · benefits in a care home (published 3 February 2026)Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Winter Fuel Payment (winter 2026 to 2027)Tell: DWP Winter Fuel Payment Centre | Same in every route Can still be paid in a care home — unless they get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related ESA and lived in a care home for the whole time from 29 June 2026 or earlier. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · Winter Fuel PaymentRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Council Tax on the home left behindTell: The council's Council Tax team | Apply for it If the home is left empty after a permanent move, it is exempt for as long as it stays empty (Class E) — apply, it is not automatic. If a husband, wife or partner still lives there it is not empty: the resident is not counted, so one adult left alone gets 25% off. A short stay does not usually qualify, because Class E needs the care home to have become their main home. Wales: Since 1 April 2026 Wales has its own law: Class E of the Council Tax (Discounts, Disregards and Exemptions) (Wales) Regulations 2026, which also covers a contract-holder. A care-home resident is not counted (reg 17). Contact the council's Council Tax department with evidence. | |||
Basis · source Law SI 1992/558 art 3, Class E (England)WSI 2026/8, Class E and reg 17 (Wales)GOV.UK · empty homesGOV.UK · discountsWelsh Government · Council Tax (updated 28 September 2026)Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| The home in the council's financial assessmentTell: Council adult social care | Not this route Not assessed while they pay their own way. It matters if their money runs down and they ask the council for help. | Ask in writing Ignored for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay, then counted — unless a partner, a relative aged 60 or over or incapacitated, or a child under 18 still lives there. Leave and re-enter within 52 weeks and the unused weeks carry over. Wales: the same 12 weeks and the same relatives, under the Care and Support (Financial Assessment) (Wales) Regulations 2015, Sch 2. | Not this route Not assessed: NHS continuing healthcare is free, arranged and funded solely by the NHS. | Carries on For a temporary stay the home is ignored while they intend to return to it and it is still available to them (the same rule in Wales). |
Basis · source Law SI 2014/2672 Sch 2WSI 2015/1844 Sch 2NHS · continuing healthcareRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| NHS nursing contribution (funded nursing care)Tell: Integrated care board (England) · health board (Wales) | Apply for it Paid by the NHS straight to the nursing home for anyone assessed as needing nursing care, whoever pays the rest. England: £267.68 a week from 1 April 2026. Wales: a weekly amount paid by the local health board to the home, the same in every board and reviewed each year. We found no published 2026–27 Welsh rate, so none is printed here. | Apply for it Paid in the same way: it is available whoever funds the rest of the fees. | Not this route Not paid separately: NHS continuing healthcare already covers the whole placement. | Ask in writing Ask the integrated care board or health board: we found nothing published on short stays. |
Basis · source Official guidance NHS · funded nursing careNHS · continuing healthcareWelsh Government · funded nursing care (updated 21 March 2023)Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| TV licenceTell: The care home manager, or TV Licensing | Same in every route A resident of an eligible care home who is retired and over 60, or disabled, can get a reduced-price licence — the housing manager checks and applies. Otherwise their room needs its own licence. The free licence for over-75s needs Pension Credit. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · TV licenceTV Licensing · care homesRead 10 October 2026; the browser-only page 3 October 2026 | ||||
Social Security Scotland pays Pension Age Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment and Carer Support Payment. The trap is free personal care. 13 benefits and bills, each with its source, read 10 October 2026.
| Benefit or bill | Self-funded: They pay the whole cost, alone or with family or a charity — not the council | Council-funded: The council (in Northern Ireland, the HSC Trust) pays any part of it | NHS-funded: The NHS pays the whole placement (NHS continuing healthcare) | Short stay: Respite or a temporary stay, whoever pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pension Age Disability Payment (replaces Attendance Allowance)Tell: Social Security Scotland | Ask in writing Carries on only while they, family or a charity pay — not a local authority. Taking the free personal care payment counts as public funding: Pension Age Disability Payment then becomes £0 from day 29. The nursing payment alone does not affect it — though the guide says nursing care is unlikely without personal care in a care home. | Stops from day 29 Becomes £0 from the day after 28 days in a care home, while the council pays any part (the self-funder exception excludes a local authority). | Not this route Scotland has no NHS continuing-healthcare route into a care home since 1 June 2015 — see the NHS row below. | Paid for 28 days The first 28 days are paid. The 28 days can be made of separate stays, if no more than 28 days lie between them. |
Still on DWP Attendance Allowance, not yet moved across? The Great Britain rules in the England & Wales table apply until Social Security Scotland moves the award. Not telling Social Security Scotland about a change may be an offence (s.72 Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018). | ||||
Basis · source Law SSI 2024/166 reg 19Social Security Scotland · PADP guidemygov.scot · PADPmygov.scot · PADP changesRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Adult Disability Payment — daily living (working age)Tell: Social Security Scotland | Carries on Kept for the whole stay if the full cost is paid by them, or by them with help from another person or a charity — not a local authority (reg 27(4)). Low-income benefits used to pay count as their own money. The guide mentions free personal care alongside public funding but does not say outright whether it ends daily living — ask in writing before relying on keeping it alongside free personal care. | Stops from day 29 Paid for the first 28 days. Where the place is publicly funded, the guide says: "The individual stops being paid the daily living component on the 29th day of their time spent in a care home" (reg 27(2)). | Not this route See the NHS row below. In hospital, both parts stop on the 29th day for anyone aged 18 or over (reg 28(2)). | Paid for 28 days The first 28 days are paid; separate stays no more than 28 days apart count together. |
They have a legal duty to tell Social Security Scotland about entering or leaving a care home (s.56 Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018). | ||||
Basis · source Official guidance ADP guide · time in a care home (published 7 August 2025)ADP guide · exceptions (published 7 August 2025)Social Security Scotland · ADP guide (published 7 August 2025)Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Adult Disability Payment — mobilityTell: Social Security Scotland | Carries on The guide: "An individual's entitlement to payment of the mobility component of ADP is not affected by time spent in a care home" (reg 27). A hospital stay is different: after 28 days in hospital both parts stop for anyone aged 18 or over. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance Social Security Scotland · ADP guide (published 7 August 2025)ADP guide · time in a care home (published 7 August 2025)Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Pension CreditTell: The Pension Service | Carries on The same Great Britain rules as England and Wales. Report the move, and after 4 weeks any change in who pays the fees. Assessed income period (AIP): "Your Pension Credit award letter will tell you if you have an AIP." If they have one, GOV.UK says it "will end if your household circumstances change, for example if you move into a care home", and "You'll get a letter saying your AIP has ended." Pension Age Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment daily living both count for the severe disability amount, so it may end when they stop. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · Pension Credit changesGOV.UK · Pension Credit amountsRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| State PensionTell: The Pension Service | Carries on It is counted as income in the council's financial assessment. Tell the Pension Service after the move. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · Pension Service changesmygov.scot · care homesRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Carer Support Payment (the carer's own payment)Tell: Social Security Scotland | Ask in writing Ends if their Pension Age Disability Payment is set to £0 — which taking free personal care does after 28 days. Report the change in your hours of care. | Stops from day 29 Stops when the qualifying benefit is set to £0 (a Social Security Scotland benefit) or stopped (a DWP one) because of the stay. | Not this route See the NHS row below. | Paid for 28 days Can carry on through a break in caring of up to 4 weeks for any reason, or up to 12 weeks where hospital is involved. |
Basis · source Official guidance Social Security Scotland · CSP guidemygov.scot · CSP changesRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costsTell: The council (Housing Benefit) or the UC journal | Report it Report it, as in England and Wales. We found no rule to quote on what then happens to housing payments; expect them to end on a permanent move, and ask. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · Housing Benefit changesGOV.UK · benefits in a care home (published 3 February 2026)Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (winter 2026 to 2027)Tell: Social Security Scotland | Same in every route Not paid if they were in residential care for the whole qualifying week, went in before 29 June 2026, and got Pension Credit, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support or Universal Credit. Residential care means a care home, or a hospital that is not part of the NHS. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance mygov.scot · winter heatingRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Council Tax on the home left behindTell: The council | Apply for it The former home of someone now living elsewhere to receive personal care stays exempt while it is unoccupied — Schedule 1, paragraph 5 of the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) (Scotland) Order 1997. Ask the council to confirm it in writing: most empty homes are exempt only for 6 months, and councils may charge a premium on long-term empty homes (the cap on that premium was lifted on 1 April 2026). If someone still lives there, the resident is not counted (LGFA 1992 Sch 1 para 8). Water and waste-water charges: check with the council. | |||
Basis · source Law SI 1997/728 Sch 1 para 5 (Scotland)LGFA 1992 Sch 1mygov.scot · empty homesScottish Government circular 6/2026mygov.scot · discountsRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| The home in the council's financial assessmentTell: Council social work department | Not this route Not assessed while they pay their own way. | Ask in writing Ignored for the first 12 weeks of a permanent admission. Ignored for good while a husband, wife or partner, a relative aged 60 or over or incapacitated, or a dependent child under 16 lives there — and at the council's discretion in other cases. | Not this route See the NHS row below. | Carries on Ignored for a temporary stay, which can last up to 52 weeks or longer in some cases. |
Basis · source Official guidance Care Information Scotland · property disregardRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Free personal and nursing careTell: Council social work department | Apply for it Paid to self-funders too, after a care needs assessment: £260.30 a week for personal care and £117.10 for nursing care from 1 April 2026. Not backdated before the assessment. Taking the personal care payment ends Pension Age Disability Payment after 28 days — weigh the two before you apply. | Apply for it Part of the council-funded package after the assessment. | Not this route See the NHS row below. | Ask in writing Ask the council: we found nothing published on short stays. |
Moving a parent to Scotland while keeping their home in England, Wales or Northern Ireland? Care Information Scotland says they are not eligible for free personal and nursing care. | ||||
Basis · source Official guidance mygov.scot · personal and nursing care (updated 10 June 2026)Care Information Scotland · personal careCare Information Scotland · capital limits (updated 14 May 2026)Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Fully NHS-funded careTell: The NHS board | Not this route Since 1 June 2015 Scotland has no NHS continuing-healthcare route into a care home. Its replacement, Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care, asks whether care needs can be met anywhere other than a hospital. People already NHS-funded in a care home under the old rules stay so while they remain eligible. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance Scottish Government DL(2015)11 (effective 1 June 2015)Care Information Scotland · HBCCC (updated 2 September 2020)Read 10 October 2026 | ||||
| TV licenceTell: The care home manager, or TV Licensing | Same in every route The same UK-wide scheme: a reduced-price licence for eligible residents who are retired and over 60, or disabled, applied for by the manager. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · TV licenceTV Licensing · care homesRead 10 October 2026; the browser-only page 3 October 2026 | ||||
The Department for Communities pays these benefits; the HSC Trust, not a council, assesses and funds care. Rates, not Council Tax. 12 benefits and bills, each with its source, read 10 October 2026.
| Benefit or bill | Self-funded: They pay the whole cost, alone or with family or a charity — not the council | Council-funded: The council (in Northern Ireland, the HSC Trust) pays any part of it | NHS-funded: The NHS pays the whole placement (NHS continuing healthcare) | Short stay: Respite or a temporary stay, whoever pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance AllowanceTell: Disability and Carers Service | Carries on nidirect: usually continues when the Trust is not helping with the fees. | Stops from day 29 Paid for the first four weeks when the Trust helps with the fees (if they were entitled before moving in). The law is the 28-day rule in the NI regulations. | Ask in writing We found no Northern Ireland page on fully NHS-funded care-home places. Ask the Trust how the place is funded, and tell the Disability and Carers Service. | Paid for 28 days The first 28 days are paid; separate stays no more than 28 days apart count as one. |
If the home is ignored for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay and the Trust funds that time: paid for the first four weeks, then restarts from week 13 or when they start self-funding. | ||||
Basis · source Law AA Regulations (NI) 1992 reg 8nidirect · care homes and benefitsnidirect · Attendance AllowanceRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| PIP — daily living partTell: PIP Centre | Carries on While their own money, or family or a charity, meets the total cost (reg 30(5)). | Stops from day 29 Paid for the first 28 days, then stops while public money pays (regs 28 and 30). | Ask in writing Ask the Trust how the place is funded, and tell the PIP Centre. | Paid for 28 days The first 28 days are paid. |
Basis · source Law PIP Regulations (NI) 2016 reg 28PIP Regulations (NI) 2016 reg 30nidirect · PIPRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| DLA — care and mobility partsTell: Disability and Carers Service | Carries on The care part usually continues; nidirect says the move should not affect the mobility part. | Ask in writing Care part: paid for the first four weeks. Mobility part: nidirect says it should not be affected and is ignored when the Trust works out the contribution — but also that both parts may be affected if the Trust funds the fees. Ask in writing. | Ask in writing Ask the Trust how the place is funded, and tell the Disability and Carers Service. | Paid for 28 days At least the first four weeks are paid; a self-funder's usually continues. |
Basis · source Official guidance nidirect · care homes and benefitsRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Pension CreditTell: Jobs and Benefits office | Carries on It counts as income when the Trust works out the contribution. A temporary stay can keep it for up to 52 weeks. After a permanent move a couple should claim as separate individuals. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance nidirect · care homes and benefitsRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| State PensionTell: The office that pays it | Carries on nidirect: moving into a home will not affect it, but it is counted as income when the contribution to the fees is assessed. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance nidirect · care homes and benefitsRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Carer's Allowance (the carer's own benefit)Tell: Disability and Carers Service | Ask in writing Continues only while the person still gets a qualifying benefit and you still care for them 35 hours a week. | Stops from day 29 Likely to end when their qualifying benefit stops (read from the qualifying-benefit rule). | Ask in writing Ask the Disability and Carers Service. | Report it Report a hospital, nursing-home or respite stay of more than 12 weeks. |
Basis · source Official guidance nidirect · Carer's AllowanceRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costsTell: Jobs and Benefits office | Stops from day 29 After a permanent move Universal Credit can be claimed, but with no help for housing costs, because care-home charges are not rent. | Stops from day 29 The same: no help with housing costs after a permanent move. | Stops from day 29 The same: no help with housing costs after a permanent move. | Carries on Housing Benefit can continue for up to 52 weeks for a short break or temporary care — but stops if a trial period goes beyond 13 weeks. |
Basis · source Official guidance nidirect · care homes and benefitsRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Winter Fuel PaymentTell: Winter Fuel Payment Centre | Report it Report a move into a care home. We could not read the Northern Ireland care-home eligibility rule, so we do not state one — do not assume Great Britain's. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance nidirect · Winter Fuel PaymentRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Rates on the home left behind (not Council Tax)Tell: Land & Property Services | Apply for it Rates are the same for empty or lived-in homes, but an empty home can be excluded — 100% relief — where all the legal owners are in permanent care. Apply to Land & Property Services with evidence, and keep paying while they decide. A spouse still living there, or one joint owner not in care, means no exclusion. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance nidirect · empty homes and ratesRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| The home in the Trust's financial assessmentTell: HSC Trust | Not this route Not assessed while they pay their own way. | Ask in writing Counts as capital 12 weeks after a permanent move — unless a husband, wife or civil partner, or a close relative who is 60 or over or disabled, still lives there. | Ask in writing Ask the Trust. | Ask in writing A temporary stay may be means-tested in the same way as a permanent one — ask the Trust. |
Basis · source Official guidance nidirect · paying care home feesnidirect · temporary staysRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| Trust nursing paymentTell: HSC Trust | Apply for it In a nursing home with assessed nursing needs, the Trust pays £100 a week towards the nursing — as nidirect prints it. The 2026–27 charging circular could not be opened, so check the figure with the Trust. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance nidirect · paying care home feesRead 10 October 2026 | ||||
| TV licenceTell: The care home manager, or TV Licensing | Same in every route The same UK-wide scheme: a reduced-price licence for eligible residents who are retired and over 60, or disabled, applied for by the manager. | |||
Basis · source Official guidance GOV.UK · TV licenceTV Licensing · care homesRead 10 October 2026; the browser-only page 3 October 2026 | ||||
The three tables print in full in the tracker PDF, and sit on their own tab in the spreadsheet. Download the PDF →
Each organisation: what to tell them, how, and what changes. Tick each one as you go — your ticks stay on this device only. Rows marked "Practice · no official rule" are prompts: we found nothing official to quote, so they tell you to ask rather than state a rule.
Showing 71 of 71 · 0 marked as told on this device
22 organisations · what to tell them · how · what changes · the source, read 10 October 2026.
12 organisations · what to tell them · how · what changes · the source, read 10 October 2026.
6 organisations · what to tell them · how · what changes · the source, read 10 October 2026.
14 organisations · what to tell them · how · what changes · the source, read 10 October 2026.
7 organisations · what to tell them · how · what changes · the source, read 10 October 2026.
10 organisations · what to tell them · how · what changes · the source, read 10 October 2026.
The same tracker, with a tick box, a date and a reference line for each organisation, prints on 36 pages of A4 and fills a spreadsheet tab. PDF → Spreadsheet →
The list is the first job. The harder part is everything around it. Who can act for them at the bank and with the council, what happens to the house, which benefits to claim, and how brothers and sisters share the work — the same questions come up in every family, usually all at once.
Caring for a Parent is a document pack for adult children with an ageing parent — the power of attorney, the money, care preferences and family readiness — personally prepared and delivered within one business day. Among its sections: how a care-home place can be paid for, insuring and deciding about an empty house, the benefits families often miss, getting access at the bank, the GP and the NHS, and how Scotland and Northern Ireland differ.
£79, one-off. One document, prepared as a single PDF after a short form about your family. General information, not legal or financial advice.
Who pays the difference on a dearer room → care-home top-up fees · The current care figures, tracked → care costs · Authority to act → power of attorney
Every answer rests on the tables and the tracker above, whose sources were read on 10 October 2026. General information, not legal or financial advice.