Paying for Homecare and Care Funding

Paying for care at home

The finances of arranging and paying for care can be complex, and will depend on the type of care and support you, or a loved one, require. This can range from personal care (washing, dressing, grooming) to more specialist care.

Understanding the funding options will help you put in place a care plan that is right for your needs, at a cost that is affordable.

Prestige Nursing + Care’s homecare services are privately-funded, either by you, or a family member, or your authorised representative. The costs of providing our homecare may be supported by a Local Authority or CCG, which is part of the NHS.

Hospital Discharge and re-ablement
If you need temporary care upon discharge from hospital, you may be eligible for support to help you recover from an illness or operation. The hospital staff should assess your needs and, if eligible, arrange care before you leave hospital. This care, called intermediate, re-ablement or aftercare, is free for a maximum of 6 weeks

Social Care
If you need support with day-to-day tasks, or you need to move into a care home, your Local Authority may help with the some or all of the costs of care. Social care is means tested.  

The thresholds for savings and assets currently (2019) are:

England and Northern Ireland, £23,250

Wales   £24,000 (care at home) or £40,000 (care in care home)

Scotland £27,250 or free if you are 65 and over.

NHS Continuing Healthcare – England
NHS Continuing Healthcare is a fully funded package of care provided by the NHS for adults 18 and over with significant primary health needs.  It is not means-tested and care can be at home or in care home. A nurse or social worker will first complete a checklist to see if you may be eligible for an assessment. The assessment is undertaken by a team of health and social care professionals, using a comprehensive document called a Decision Support Tool.  If the criteria for NHS Continuing Healthcare are met, a recommendation is made to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) who, except in exceptional circumstances, confirm the recommendation.

NHS Funded Nursing Care
If you are not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you may be entitled to NHS Funded Nursing Care, where the assessment says that you need to live in a nursing home with support from a Registered Nurse. Payment is made directly to the Nursing home.

Personal Health Budgets (PHB)
A personal health budget is for your healthcare and support needs

If you are an adult in receipt of NHS Continuing Healthcare or a child in receipt of continuing care, or NHS Funded Nursing Care, you may be offered the choice of receiving your funding through a Personal Health Budget. A PHB is one way to give people with long term health conditions and disabilities more choice and control over the money spent on meeting their health and well-being needs.

The funding is provided by your CCG. Sometimes your care is jointly funded with your Council. Funding can be managed in three ways:

Direct Payments
You, or your representative receives money directly to buy and manage the care, support and services you need. You must show what you have spent it on and there are rules governing how it can be spent.

Third Party PHB
An independent organisation holds the money for you, and pays for and arranges the care and support agreed in your care plan.

Notional PHB
The money available for your assessed needs is identified and together with your NHS team, you decide how to spend the money. The NHS team arranges the care and support agreed in your care plan. No money changes hands.

Personal Budgets
A personal budget is for your social care and support needs. Your Council funds it, and eligibility is means tested.

How much we charge

Prestige Nursing + Care’s fees are based on the comprehensive care and support plan – our Care Assessment that we develop with you, or a loved one, after understanding your needs and the requirements for your homecare. (With your permission, we will also discuss our findings with other professionals and family members who are interested in your care and well-being.)

Our Care Assessment will provide a cost for your homecare, which will vary for each client depending on the numbers of hours of care you require, how many visits and the type of professional – a care assistant, a nurse or a support worker.

We will always provide complete transparency on our fees, and are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Care funding options for care at home

For independent information and advice on homecare funding options:

For independent information and advice on NHS Continuing Healthcare:

Care to Be Different – Care To Be Different publishes NHS Continuing Healthcare tips and advice and practical information about care fees and care funding assessments. “Care To Be Different”, was set up by Angela Sherman following her own frustrating attempts to secure care funding for her parents.