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Adult social care and support

Guide to paying for adult social care

Arranging and paying for care for yourself

Paying for care for self-funders

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What support can self-funders get?

If you are arranging and paying for care yourself, you are a self-funder. This might be because you:

  • have more than £23,250 in savings and are moving into a care home
  • have more than £24,500 in savings and are paying for care at home
  • you do not want to do a financial assessment
  • you do not meet the criteria to get support from us

You can ask us for free:

This can help you understand your options. With the right support, you could stay at home for longer.

Choosing the care you need

Think about whether you can stay at home with some help. A few small changes may be all you need to make things easier. For more on this see Staying independent.

If things are getting harder to manage on a regular basis or you have no support network, you may need to consider residential care or more intensive care at home.

We can help you set up care at home

If you meet the criteria to get support from us, we can help you set up your care in your home. We arrange the contract and pay the care provider on your behalf. You then pay us back. This may not reduce your total care costs, but it can save you time and effort.

If you ask us to do this, we will charge you:

  • £375 one-time set up fee
  • £144.60 yearly charge paid every April
  • £16.10 weekly admin fee

If you need residential care

If you need residential care, your home may be considered in your assets and savings. See What happens to my home for more information. For general advice on how to pay for residential care, see .

Check our Care home checklist before choosing a care provider.

How to find care providers in ßÙßÇÂþ»­

You can find local providers in ßÙßÇÂþ»­ at:

  • to explore care options and compare costs
  • (CQC) to check service ratings
  • for local community support

How much will care cost?

Care can be expensive so it is important you have a plan to make sure that you can afford it.

Start by looking at your assets and savings. This may include your home if you plan to move into a care home. You can find out what counts as savings and assets at . You can use this for your own records. You do not need to submit the form to us.

Once you know how much money you have, work out how long it might last. You can use our care cost indicator to see how care costs can build up.

Decide what type of care you need then find out more about:

Remember that your care needs and financial situation can change over time. Make sure to:

Check what benefits or other support you could get

Check to see if you could get non-means-tested benefits like:

  • for over 65s who need help because of illness or disability
  • (PIP) for people who need help with personal care or moving around

Non-means tested benefits don’t depend on how much income or savings you have.

You may be eligible for free NHS care, including:

  • NHS continuing healthcare
  • NHS-funded nursing care
  • care after illness or hospital discharge

If you are living at home, you may be able to get:

Get expert financial advice on paying for care

Getting expert advice could help you to plan for your future. We recommend you choose one of the members of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA).

For more information see Getting independent financial advice.

You can find out more about planning your money at:

Prepare for the future - legal and practical steps

Set up a lasting power of attorney (LPA)

An LPA is a legal document. It lets you choose someone you trust to make decisions for you if you cannot do it yourself. There are 2 types:

  • money and property
  • health and welfare

You must:

  • be able to make your own decisions when setting it up
  • register it with the

To find out more see .

Write your will

Making a will helps your family and loved ones. If you die without a will, sorting out your estate can take a long time and cost a lot.

See .

Planning for your future

We work with Age UK ßÙßÇÂþ»­ to help self-funders, carers and care arrangers plan ahead. Taking these steps now can help you and your loved ones in the future. We run regular events and offer support by:

You can find out more or book on an event at .

Files available to download

Personal budgets and direct payments
How to pay our invoices

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