Care fees and you

This section is for anyone concerned about needing long term care in the future and looking for information about either paying for care or about protecting your house or assets from being used to fund your care.

Historically, when someone needed to go into care, it was paid for through a variety of Government sources. However, the days of free care are long gone. Nowadays, if you are considered to have enough money you can be required to pay for your care.

The Government does not expect those on low incomes or with few financial assets to pay for their own care. However, the threshold for those who can expect free care is quite low at £23,250.

That's the good news but what about the impact of care fees and you? However, although most people don’t consider themselves wealthy, the threshold does not relate only to your money. It also includes the value of your house.

So, if the value of your assets INCLUDING your house value is higher then £23,250 you can expect to pay for your own care out of your own finances.

Current figures suggest that the average WEEKLY cost that a person in care can be expected to contribute is around £600. But this is an average figure and for someone needing residential care in Yorkshire the figure is £530 per week but in London as high as £727 per week.

On average, then, this comes out at around £32,000 per year – you will need to fund your own care, from your savings, and may also need to use the value of your house to pay for your care.

However, the rules, regulations and policies are far more complex than this. We can advise you when we meet but for a quick handy guide on how care fees and how they are assessed, please click here

For some, needing to pay for your own care is upsetting. Clients often look to us to discuss legitimate and well accepted methods to reduce their contribution to paying for care. These typically are about protecting the family home.

We don’t use scare tactics. We will give you the balanced ethical information on:

  • How to protect your house from being sold to fund care

  • How to protect your money from funding care

BUT – we will also tell you the downsides in protecting your assets. After all, if you’ve protected your assets and then rely on the Local Authority to fund your care, what quality of care can you expect them to pay for?

Contact us for unbiased, ethical and balanced information if going into care is a concern for you or for a member of your family.