Yes, your local authority can fund care at home, but the help is means tested. In England the council pays towards home care only after a free needs assessment confirms you have eligible needs, and a financial assessment shows your capital is below £23,250 (gov.uk, charging circular 2026 to 2027, as at August 2026, subject to change).
The value of the home you live in is not counted when the support is care at home rather than a move into residential care (NHS, when the council might pay, as at August 2026, subject to change). This guide explains each step, the figures that apply, and where other funding may sit alongside council support. It describes the law of England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland flagged separately.
How local authority funding for care at home works
Funding for care at home, sometimes called domiciliary care or home care, follows two separate checks. The first is about need, the second is about money, and both have to point the same way before the council pays anything.
- A care needs assessment. A free assessment of what you can and cannot manage day to day, carried out under the Care Act 2014.
- A financial assessment. A means test of your income and capital that decides whether the council contributes, and how much you contribute yourself.
If the assessment finds eligible needs but your capital is above the upper limit, you are usually a self funder and arrange and pay for care yourself, though the council must still offer to help you find services.
Step one: the care needs assessment
Anyone who appears to need care and support is entitled to a needs assessment from their local council, regardless of income or savings, and there is no charge for it (NHS, getting a needs assessment, as at August 2026, subject to change). The duty to assess sits in the Care Act 2014 (legislation.gov.uk, Care Act 2014, as at August 2026). A social care professional looks at everyday tasks such as washing, dressing, preparing meals, staying safe at home and staying connected to the community, then decides which needs are eligible for support.
You can ask for an assessment by contacting the adult social care team at your council. A friend, relative or carer can request one on your behalf with your permission. If the result is a package of home care, it is written up in a care and support plan that sets out what help is provided and how it is arranged.
Step two: the financial assessment (means test)
If the council agrees you have eligible needs, it carries out a financial assessment, or means test, to work out whether it helps with the cost. For care at home this looks at your capital, meaning savings and investments, and your income from pensions and most benefits. The capital limits below apply in England.
| Your capital (England) | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Above £23,250 (upper limit) | You normally pay the full cost of your care yourself (a self funder). |
| Between £14,250 and £23,250 | You may get help, but capital in this band is counted as generating a tariff income you contribute from. |
| Below £14,250 (lower limit) | Capital is ignored; you contribute only from income, subject to the minimum income guarantee. |
Source: gov.uk, social care charging circular 2026 to 2027. Capital limits are held at these levels for 2026 to 2027, as at August 2026, subject to change.
After the assessment the council does one of three things: it pays the maximum towards your care with a contribution from you, it pays part of the cost and you pay the rest, or it decides you pay the full cost (NHS, when the council might pay, as at August 2026, subject to change).
What counts, and what is protected
Two points make care at home different from a move into a care home. First, the value of the property you live in is disregarded while care is provided at home (NHS, as at August 2026, subject to change). Second, the means test cannot leave you with too little to live on.
The minimum income guarantee is the amount a financial assessment must leave you each week after any care contribution. For 2026 to 2027 it is £241.45 a week for a single person who has reached Pension Credit qualifying age and receives care other than in a care home (gov.uk, charging circular 2026 to 2027, as at August 2026, subject to change). Different amounts apply to other age groups and to couples.
How the funding is paid to you
Where the council contributes, the amount it agrees is your personal budget. You can usually take that support in one of three ways: the council arranges the care, you receive direct payments to buy your own care, or a mix of the two. Direct payments are available only after social services has assessed you as needing care and support (gov.uk, apply for direct payments, as at August 2026). They give more choice over who provides care and when, in exchange for keeping simple records of how the money is spent.
If someone may in future lose the mental capacity to manage this, a lasting power of attorney lets a trusted person handle direct payments and care decisions without a court application.
Other funding that can sit alongside
Council support is not the only source of help, and some of it is not means tested at all.
- Attendance Allowance. A benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care, paid at £76.70 or £114.60 a week and not means tested (gov.uk, Attendance Allowance, as at August 2026, subject to change).
- NHS Continuing Healthcare. Where care is needed mainly for a health reason rather than a social one, the NHS may fund the full package. It is arranged and paid by the NHS, not the council, and is not means tested (NHS, Continuing Healthcare, as at August 2026, subject to change).
- Care and support plan reviews. Needs and finances change, so plans are reviewed and the numbers can be reassessed.
How to apply, in order
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Contact the council | Ask adult social care for a needs assessment. It is free and open to anyone who appears to need care. |
| 2. Needs assessment | A professional assesses everyday tasks and decides which needs are eligible. |
| 3. Financial assessment | The means test reviews capital and income against the limits above. |
| 4. Care and support plan | Your personal budget and the way care is delivered are agreed and put in place. |
| 5. Review | The plan is revisited as needs, income or the rules change. |
Process summarised from gov.uk, apply for a needs assessment and NHS, as at August 2026, subject to change.
- Upper capital limit £23,250, lower limit £14,250 in England (gov.uk, 2026 to 2027, subject to change).
- Minimum income guarantee £241.45 a week, single person of Pension Credit age, care at home, 2026 to 2027 (gov.uk, subject to change).
- The home you live in is disregarded for care at home (NHS, subject to change).
- The needs assessment is free to everyone (NHS, subject to change).
Scotland and Northern Ireland
This guide describes England and Wales. The rules differ elsewhere. Scotland provides personal and nursing care at home free of a personal care charge for those assessed as needing it, through a separate framework, though other costs can still apply. Northern Ireland runs adult social care through health and social care trusts rather than councils, with its own charging arrangements for non residential care. Anyone crossing these borders is generally best checking the position with the relevant authority.
Frequently asked questions
Does the council pay for care at home?
It can. After a free needs assessment confirms eligible needs, a financial assessment checks your capital and income. In England the council may contribute where capital is below £23,250, and pays more as capital falls below £14,250 (gov.uk, 2026 to 2027, as at August 2026, subject to change).
Is my house counted when I get care at home?
No. The value of the property you live in is disregarded in the financial assessment while care is provided at home, unlike a permanent move into a care home where it may be counted (NHS, as at August 2026, subject to change).
How much can I keep if the council funds my care at home?
The means test must leave you with at least the minimum income guarantee. For 2026 to 2027 that is £241.45 a week for a single person of Pension Credit age receiving care at home, with different figures for other groups (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change).
Is a care needs assessment free?
Yes. Anyone who appears to need care and support is entitled to a needs assessment at no cost, whatever their income or savings (NHS, as at August 2026, subject to change). The duty sits in the Care Act 2014.
What is the difference between council funding and NHS Continuing Healthcare?
Council funding for care at home is means tested and covers social care needs. NHS Continuing Healthcare is arranged and fully funded by the NHS, without a means test, where the main reason for care is a health need (NHS, as at August 2026, subject to change).
Can I choose my own carers if the council pays?
Often yes, through direct payments. Once assessed as needing care and support, you can receive the council's contribution as a direct payment and arrange your own care, keeping records of how it is spent (gov.uk, as at August 2026, subject to change).
Care at home often sits alongside wider decisions about property, gifts and later life costs. Our guides on planning for and limiting the impact of care fees and on estate planning look at how those pieces connect, and you can arrange a confidential conversation if it would help to talk it through.