Paying for your care from October 2023
Source: Department for Health and Social Care
Updated 8 December 2021
The Government is changing the way people in England pay for their care to make the system fairer. From October 2023:
No one will have to pay more than £86,000 for their personal care costs. Currently there is no limit on how much you might pay.
- Individuals with less than £100,000 in savings and assets are likely to be eligible for help from their local council with their care costs. Currently only those with less than £23,250 are eligible for state support.
- More people will be able to ask their local council to arrange their care for them to give them a choice of better value care.
3 in 4 adults over the age of 65 in England will face care costs at some point in their lifetime.
How much you will be expected to pay
Your care costs will typically be made up of your:
- Personal care costs - the amount you pay for your carers to help with tasks such as dressing, bathing, going to the toilet.
- Daily living costs - if you live in a care home for things such as food, rent, accommodation costs, and energy bills.
From October 2023 the amount you will have to pay for your personal care costs will be capped at £86,000, making it easier to plan ahead. This is equivalent to around three years in care.
If you are receiving care in a residential setting, your daily living costs are not included in this cap and will be payable after you have reached the cap. If you ask the local authority to commission your care, they will need to provide you with options where Daily Living Costs are no more than £200 per week. You can choose to pay more than this, if, for example you would like a nicer room.
How much you have to pay for your care depends on how much money and assets you have. This won't include the value of your home if you or your partner still live in it. Your local authority will carry out an assessment to understand your individual care needs, how much your care will cost, and how much the council can contribute towards your care costs.
From October 2023 if you have savings and assets of:Under £20,000 You won't have to pay anything towards your care from your assets. However, you may still need to contribute from your income. Between £20,000 and £100,000 Your local authority will assess what you can afford to pay from your savings and assets and may pay for some of your care. If you cannot afford to pay your full costs from your income, you will be expected to contribute up to £1 in every £250 from your chargeable assets above £20,000. Over £100,000 You will be expected to meet the full cost of your care until you reach the cap. |
Find out more about the social care reforms
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