Paying for care: advice for families
Council funding, the means test, self-funding, deferred payments and top-ups: how care is paid for and what help is available.
18 articles on paying for care
- How to prepare for a care needs assessment
What to write down, who to bring and what to say at a council care needs assessment, so the assessor sees the real picture of daily life. Last reviewed 21 September 2026. - How to Pay Care Home Fees in England: Your Funding Options
Who pays for a care home in England: the council means test, self-funding, the 12-week property disregard, deferred payments and NHS funding, explained. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Care Fees and a Jointly Owned Home: Is a Spouse Protected?
How councils in England treat a jointly owned home when one owner needs care: the spouse disregard, valuing a part-share, and assessing couples separately. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Deprivation of Assets: What Councils Can and Can't Do
How councils in England decide whether a gift or sale was deprivation of assets, why there is no seven-year rule, notional capital, and how to challenge. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Protecting your home from care fees: facts and myths
Which rules genuinely protect a home from care fees in England, which popular schemes can backfire, and why the 'seven-year rule' does not apply to care. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Will I Have to Sell My Home to Pay for Care?
When your house counts in the care means test in England, who can live there to protect it, the 12-week disregard, and deferred payments instead of a sale. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Deferred payment agreements: using your home for care
How council deferred payment agreements work in England: who qualifies, how interest and the equity limit work, what it costs, and repayment after death. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Council care funding: am I eligible and how to apply?
How council-funded care works in England: the free needs assessment, the national eligibility criteria, the means test, how to apply and how to challenge. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Paying for elderly care in the UK: your funding options
Means test, NHS Continuing Healthcare, nursing care funding, benefits, deferred payments and equity release: how UK families pay for care at home or in a home. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Care means test in Birmingham: capital limits explained
How Birmingham City Council means-tests care: the 2026/27 capital limits, tariff income, when the house counts, deferred payments and top-up fees. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - How does a council care funding assessment work?
The two stages of a council care assessment in England, the eligibility criteria, what the means test counts, what your relative keeps and how to challenge it. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - How councils value your home for care home fees
Market value, the 10% deduction, secured debts, jointly owned homes and disputes: how a property is valued in a council care financial assessment in England. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Paying for care in Liverpool: myths and facts
Common myths about care fees, selling the house, gifting and NHS funding, corrected for Liverpool families, plus where to get free and regulated advice. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - The £23,250 care capital limit: how it works
Who pays the full cost of care, how tariff income works between £14,250 and £23,250, when your home counts, and how to protect property within the rules. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Care home top-up fees: who pays and what families sign
When a council-funded care home place costs more than the personal budget: who can pay the difference, what the written agreement covers and the risks to weigh. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Can You Rent Out a Parent's Home to Pay Care Fees?
How letting a parent's former home can help pay care home fees, how rent affects the means test and tax, landlord duties, and when selling may be simpler. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Do you have to sell your home to pay for care?
When the home counts in the care means test, the 12-week disregard, and the pros and cons of selling, a deferred payment agreement or renting it out. Last reviewed 18 September 2026. - Protecting your home from care fees in London
The legitimate ways London families can keep a home out of care fee calculations, from the property disregards to deferred payments, and the risks of gifting. Last reviewed 18 September 2026.
Guides
Every article is checked against official sources before it is published and re-checked at least every six months. Our editorial policy.
Search care homes near you