United States · https://decisionscalc.com/tools/uk-care-home-fees-calculator/
Care home fees calculator
How long will your parent’s savings, and their home, pay for a care home before the council helps? And what then: tariff income, what they still pay, what the council pays and whether the family must top up the fee. The 2026/27 rules for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The council starts helping after
| NHS or Scottish payments a week | £0.00 |
|---|---|
| Then: tariff income a week | £34.00 |
| Then: your parent pays a week | £352.20 |
| Then: the council pays a week | £647.80 |
| Then: top-up a week (family) | £300.00 |
| Paid from the home, 5 years | £0 |
| Family pays, first 5 years | £72,495 |
Planning it properly? The Care Costs Planner spreadsheet runs these rules week by week for 15 years and splits the family’s share among brothers and sisters.
The rules in each nation, 2026/27
| England | Scotland | Wales | N. Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper capital limit | £23,250 | £36,750 | £50,000 | £23,250 |
| Lower capital limit | £14,250 | £22,750 | none | £14,250 |
| Kept a week (care home) | £31.80 | £37.65 | £46.35 | £34.10 |
| Nursing payment a week | £267.68 | £117.10 | — | £100.00 |
| Free personal care a week | — | £260.30 | — | — |
Wales and Northern Ireland pages carry no year: check them with the council or Trust. Care at home: in England the council leaves your parent at least the Minimum Income Guarantee (£241.45 a week, single, Pension Credit age); in Wales home care costs at most £100 a week; in Scotland personal care at home is free; Northern Ireland home care follows the Trust’s own policy and is not worked out here.
Frequently asked questions
When does the council start paying for a care home?
When your parent’s capital falls to the upper limit: £23,250 in England and Northern Ireland, £36,750 in Scotland (from April 2026) and £50,000 in Wales. Above it they pay the full fee. Capital means savings and investments and, after 12 weeks in a care home, the home itself unless a partner or a relative aged 60 or over (or disabled) still lives there.
What is tariff income?
Between the lower and upper limits, councils count £1 a week of income for every £250, or part of £250, of capital above the lower limit. England’s guidance gives the example of £18,100: £3,850 above £14,250 is 15.4 lots of £250, rounded up to £16 a week. Wales has no tariff below its £50,000 limit.
How much of the pension goes to the care home?
Once the council helps, your parent pays their income plus any tariff income, less a weekly allowance they keep for personal spending: £31.80 in England, £37.65 in Scotland, £46.35 in Wales and £34.10 in Northern Ireland. The council pays the rest of its usual rate.
What is a top-up fee?
If the care home charges more than the council’s usual rate for that kind of care, someone else (usually the family) can pay the difference so your parent can stay there. It is a contract with the council; your parent cannot usually pay it themselves while the council is funding their care.
Does the NHS pay anything?
In a care home with nursing, the NHS pays £267.68 a week in England (NHS-funded nursing care, from 1 April 2026), whatever your parent’s savings. In Scotland everyone assessed gets £260.30 a week of free personal care, plus £117.10 for nursing. In Northern Ireland the Trust pays £100 for nursing. If your parent has a primary health need, NHS Continuing Healthcare pays everything: ask for an assessment.
Can my parent give the house to us to avoid fees?
Councils can treat money or property given away to avoid care fees as if your parent still had it (deprivation of assets). There is no fixed time limit. This calculator does not suggest ways round the rules.
Related
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