Working out how much a care home costs in the UK is rarely a single number: fees swing widely by region, care type, and room. This guide gives you real ranges, explains why they move, and walks through who actually pays.
What this guide covers
- Typical weekly and monthly fees for residential, nursing, dementia, and respite care
- The four things that push the price up or down
- The difference between a residential home and a nursing home
- How council funding works, the means test, and the capital thresholds
- Whether there is a cap on fees and the latest position on the rules
- The home and the spouse question, including “can I sell my house if my husband is in a care home?”
- What happens if you can’t afford a care home, and where Oakland Care fits in
How much does a care home cost in the UK? The quick answer
For most families, a residential care home costs roughly £950 to £1,300 a week, while a nursing home, which includes registered nursing on site, sits higher at around £1,200 to £1,700 a week. Specialist dementia care often falls at the upper end of those ranges. Multiply a weekly figure by about 4.3 for a rough monthly equivalent, so a £1,200 weekly fee works out near £5,160 a month.
These are typical ranges, not fixed prices. The official Care homes market study from the Competition and Markets Authority found the sector to be highly varied, with fees shaped strongly by local supply, location, and how the place is funded.
| Care type | Typical weekly cost | Rough monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care | £950 – £1,300 | £4,085 – £5,590 |
| Nursing care | £1,200 – £1,700 | £5,160 – £7,310 |
| Dementia care | £1,100 – £1,800 | £4,730 – £7,740 |
| Respite (short stay) | from £1,000 | priced per week |
Fees usually bundle the room, meals, utilities, personal care, and day-to-day support. Some homes charge separately for hairdressing, certain therapies, or trips, so always ask for a written breakdown of what care home fees include before you commit.
What makes care home costs vary so much
Location
Where the home sits is the single biggest swing factor. Fees in London and the South East run well above those in parts of the North and Wales, driven by property prices, staff costs, and local demand.
Level of care needed
Supporting someone with washing, dressing, and meals costs less than caring for someone with complex medical needs or advanced dementia. Dementia care carries a premium because it asks for trained staff, higher staffing ratios, and a secure, specialist environment. A peer-reviewed study on the costs of dementia in England shows residential and nursing care make up a large share of the total cost of dementia, which is part of why these places price higher.
Room type and facilities
A single en-suite room costs more than a standard one, and homes with fine dining, landscaped gardens, and a full activities programme charge for that quality. Some of these sit outside the basic fee. That is exactly what to look for when choosing a care home if you want fewer surprises later.
Funded versus self-funded
Self-funders often pay more than the council pays for the same room. Local authorities negotiate lower block rates, and homes recover some of that shortfall through self-funder fees. It is not a hidden trick, but it is worth knowing when you compare quotes.
Residential care versus nursing care: what you pay for
A residential home provides personal care, meals, and support with daily life. A nursing home does all that and keeps a registered nurse on site around the clock, which is why it costs more. If the nursing need is the reason for the placement, the NHS may pay a weekly contribution called Funded Nursing Care toward that nursing element. The plain distinction between a care home versus a nursing home matters because it changes both the fee and the funding you can claim.
Who pays? Council funding versus paying for yourself
Is a care home free in the UK?
No. Unlike the NHS, adult social care is means-tested. Whether the council helps depends on your needs and your money, so most people contribute something and many pay the full fee.
The means test and the capital thresholds
After a needs assessment, the council runs a financial assessment that looks at your capital, which includes savings, investments, and in some cases property. There is an upper threshold and a lower threshold. Above the upper figure you are treated as a self-funder. Below the lower figure the council funds your care, though you still contribute most of your income. Between the two, you part-pay on a sliding scale. The NHS guide to paying for your own care as a self-funder sets out how this assessment works.
How much money can you keep going into a nursing home?
If the council funds you, your income largely goes toward fees, but you keep a small weekly sum called the Personal Expenses Allowance for personal spending. Capital below the lower threshold is protected and not counted against you.
| Your capital | Who funds the care |
|---|---|
| Above the upper threshold | You self-fund the full fee |
| Between the thresholds | You part-fund on a sliding scale |
| Below the lower threshold | Council funds, you keep a personal allowance |
While self-funding, you may still claim benefits such as Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested. Families often worry about liability too. To be clear on whether next of kin are responsible for care home fees, relatives are generally not personally liable unless they sign a contract agreeing to pay.
Is there a cap on care home fees, and the new rules
The idea of a lifetime cap on what any one person pays toward care has been debated and legislated for, but the timetable has shifted more than once, so treat any specific figure or start date with caution and check official guidance before relying on it. The pressure behind these reforms is real: analysis of the projected costs of long-term care for older people in England points to rising demand and spending in the years ahead. For the current position, our overview of the new rules for care home payments is kept up to date. And if a self-funder’s money runs down to the lower threshold, the council steps in to fund eligible needs from that point.
Your home and care fees: can I sell my house if my husband is in a care home?
This is the question that causes the most fear, and the answer is calmer than most people expect. Your property is generally disregarded in the financial assessment while a spouse, partner, or certain other relatives still live there. So if your husband moves into care and you remain in the family home, the house is not counted and you are usually not forced to sell it. You can sell it if you choose to, but the move itself does not compel a sale.
Families often ask about other routes to protect a property, such as putting a house in trust, holding it as tenants in common, the seven-year rule, or a deed of variation. These carry real risks. A council can treat a transfer made to dodge fees as deliberate deprivation of assets and assess you as if you still owned the property. We cover the boundaries in our guide to deprivation of assets, and the practical options in how to avoid selling your house to pay for care. Treat trust and tax schemes as a matter for a qualified, regulated adviser, not a quick fix.
Nobody is left without care because of money.
What happens if you can’t afford a care home?
The local authority has a duty to assess anyone who appears to need support, and to fund care for those who meet the eligibility criteria and fall below the capital threshold. If a self-funder’s savings run out, you notify the council, a fresh financial assessment is done, and funding takes over for the assessed needs, though the council may only pay up to its standard rate for a given type of care. Planning that handover early makes the practical side of moving a parent into a care home far less stressful.
Care home costs at Oakland Care
Oakland Care provides residential, nursing, dementia, and respite care across London and the South East. Each fee reflects a personalised care plan built with the resident and family. Rather than quote headline numbers that hide the extras, we share clear, written breakdowns of what a fee includes. Benchmarks still help when you compare: knowing what makes a good care home lets you weigh price against the things that shape daily life.
Key takeaways
| Point | The short version |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | Roughly £950–£1,300 a week residential, £1,200–£1,700 nursing |
| Biggest variables | Location, level of care, room type, funding route |
| Is it free? | No, social care is means-tested |
| Selling your home | Usually disregarded while a spouse still lives there |
| Can’t afford it? | The council assesses and funds eligible needs |
How much a care home costs in the UK comes down to your region, the care needed, and your finances, but the fear of losing the family home is often misplaced.
Frequently asked questions
Is a care home free in the UK?
How much money can you keep when going into a nursing home in the UK?
What happens to my private pension if I go into a care home?
Are next of kin responsible for care home fees?
