The short answer
If the person’s savings and counted property are over the upper limit for their nation, they pay the full fee until their capital drops to that limit. Below it, the council does a financial assessment, the person pays from their income (keeping a small weekly allowance) and the council pays the rest up to its usual rate.
How this is calculated
| Upper limit | Lower limit | Weekly allowance kept | |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | £23,250 | £14,250 | £31.80 |
| Scotland | £36,750 | £22,750 | £37.65 |
| Wales | £50,000 | None | £46.35 |
| Northern Ireland | £23,250 | £14,250 | £36.62 |
- Over the upper limit: the person pays the full fee, less any NHS nursing contribution or Scottish free personal and nursing care.
- Between the limits (not Wales): £1 a week is added to their assessed income for every £250, or part of £250, above the lower limit.
- Under the upper limit: they pay their assessed income minus the weekly allowance, and the council pays the rest.
- How long savings last is the capital above the upper limit divided by the weekly gap between the fee and their income.
Councils only pay up to their usual rate. If the chosen home costs more, someone else may need to pay a top-up. Councils also ignore some income, and couples are assessed on the resident’s share only. This calculator gives a first estimate, not the council’s assessment.
Worked example
Eileen lives in England. Her care home costs £1,150 a week. She has £60,000 in savings and £280 a week from her pensions. Her savings are over £23,250, so she pays the full fee. £870 a week comes out of her savings, so it would take about 42 weeks for them to fall to £23,250. After that, the council would assess her and start paying part of the fee.
Common questions
Do I have to sell my house to pay for a care home?
Not straight away, and sometimes not at all. The value of your home is ignored if a partner, a relative over 60 or a disabled relative still lives there. Otherwise it is ignored for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay, and you can usually ask the council for a deferred payment agreement so the fees are paid back when the home is sold later.
What is the care home savings limit in England?
£23,250. Above that you pay the full fees yourself. Between £14,250 and £23,250 the council helps, but you pay £1 a week for every £250 of capital over £14,250, on top of most of your income.
How is it different in Scotland?
Scotland pays free personal care of £260.3 a week, and £117.1 a week for nursing care, towards the fees of anyone assessed as needing it, whatever their savings. The capital limits are higher too: £36,750 and £22,750 from April 2026.
How is it different in Wales?
Wales has a single capital limit of £50,000. Above it you pay the full fees. At or below it your capital is ignored, and you pay from your income, keeping a minimum income amount of £46.35 a week.
How much income do I keep in a care home?
A personal expenses allowance: £31.80 a week in England, £37.65 in Scotland, £46.35 in Wales and £36.62 in Northern Ireland. The rest of your assessable income goes towards the fees.
Does the NHS pay for nursing care?
In England, if you live in a nursing home and need care from a registered nurse, the NHS pays £267.68 a week straight to the home (NHS-funded nursing care). If your needs are mainly health needs, you may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare, which pays the full fees.