This site uses services that use cookies to deliver a better experience and analyse traffic. You can learn more about the services we use in our cookies policy.

Fees & Funding > Care Home Costs & Care Fees UK Average March 2024

Care Home Costs & Care Fees UK Average March 2024

Care home costs

Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes

In the UK, care home costs vary, based on the type of care required, the region you live in and any funding you’re entitled to.

Depending on your total assets, you may qualify for assistance to help with care home fees via local council funding or through the NHS.

Here, we’ve shared the average cost of care homes across the UK for different types of care, and whether you will be eligible for funding support.


Article and Figures Last Updated: March 2024


Kickstart your care search

Discover the best care homes in your area through Lottie.

Find your nearest care home




In this article:

  1. How much are care home costs in the UK?
  2. Average annual costs
  3. Costs by care home type
  4. Privately funded care home fees
  5. Cost of care in England, Scotland and Wales
  6. What's included in care home fees?
  7. Care home costs by provider
  8. Care home costs by facilities available
  9. Who pays for care?
  10. Savings thresholds for care home costs
  11. Help with fees



How Much Are Care Home Costs in the UK?

The average weekly cost of living in a residential care home is £972, while the average nursing home cost is £1,196 per week. Our data shows that annual residential care home fees cost around £51,000, while nursing care costs around £62,000 per year.

Care home costs vary, depending on the type of care provided. For example, a residential care home offering support with day-to-day activities like washing and dressing will cost less than a nursing home that provides 24/7 support for all residents from specially-trained nursing staff.

Care costs will also differ based on the facilities a home offers and where the home is located. Generally, you’ll find that care homes are more expensive in some parts of England, including London and Kent.

The table below illustrates how the cost of care differs throughout the UK, based on location and care types.





Average Weekly Care Home Costs Across the UK

Region Residential care costs per week Nursing care costs per week Residential dementia care costs per week Nursing dementia care costs per week Residential Respite care costs per week
East Midlands £875 £1,104 £913 £1,135 £932
East of England £953 £1,181 £1,014 £1,214 £1,022
London £1,128 £1,346 £1,194 £1,416 £1,216
North East England £852 £983 £882 £1,008 £908
North West England £858 £1,072 £901 £1,110 £934
South East England £1,064 £1,288 £1,123 £1,347 £1,161
South West England £1,042 £1,265 £1,094 £1,316 £1,126
West Midlands £1,122 £995 £950 £1,148 £988
Yorkshire and the Humber £867 £1,075 £906 £1,116 £921
England £970 £1,196 £1,019 £1,250 £1,047
Scotland £1,023 £1,197 £1,047 £1,219 £1,111
Wales £955 £1,189 £1,028 £1,262 £1,063
UK £972 £1,196 £1,021 £1,248 £1,050

Here, our internal data has been combined with local authority funded fees to bring you care home costs throughout the UK.


Residential care home fees

In the UK, the average cost of residential care is £972 per week and £4,212 per month.

Residential care costs typically cover a basic standard of care, including help with daily tasks like washing, dressing and assisting residents with medication.


Nursing care home fees

In the UK, the average cost of nursing care is £1,196 per week and £5,183 per month.

Nursing care homes are generally more expensive, as they provide round-the-clock care for residents who may have complex health conditions. These types of care homes also provide personal care - but there will always be at least one qualified nurse on duty.


Dementia care home fees

In the UK, the average cost of residential dementia care is £1,021 per week and £4,424 per month, while the average cost of nursing dementia care is £1,248 per week and £5,408 per month.

Care homes that provide specialist care, such as dementia care homes, will usually charge higher fees than both residential and nursing homes. Dementia can be complex and sometimes requires 24/7 care, and residents may need special therapy equipment to support them.

At the moment, people living with dementia in the UK have to fund the complete cost of their care, unless they have assets totalling less than £23,250.


Respite care home fees

In the UK, the average cost of residential respite care is £1,050 per week and £4,550 per month.

Respite care homes offer short periods of care for someone whose carer is on holiday or cannot care for them due to an emergency.

If you’re looking for temporary support, the best way to calculate the cost of care is via a financial assessment.





Paying For Private Care Across the UK

Below, we’ve provided the cost of privately funded care home fees throughout the different regions of the UK across residential, nursing, residential dementia, nursing dementia and residential respite care.

This information has been created using our own internal data, based on the care homes we list.

Region Residential care costs per week Nursing care costs per week Residential dementia care costs per week Nursing dementia care costs per week Residential Respite care costs per week
East Midlands £1,088 £1,336 £1,131 £1,360 £1,135
East of England £1,222 £1,470 £1,311 £1,551 £1,292
London £1,383 £1,607 £1,469 £1,702 £1,470
North East England £1,035 £1,088 £1,061 £1,099 £1,078
North West England £1,107 £1,325 £1,162 £1,368 £1,198
South East England £1,332 £1,570 £1,410 £1,645 £1,446
South West England £1,261 £1,493 £1,322 £1,555 £1,345
West Midlands £1,204 £1,391 £1,224 £1,407 £1,268
Yorkshire and the Humber £1,083 £1,291 £1,128 £1,335 £1,125
England £1,227 £1,470 £1,291 £1,540 £1,310
Scotland £1,333 £1,473 £1,346 £1,477 £1,438
Wales £1,198 £1,456 £1,309 £1,564 £1,342
UK £1,232 £1,470 £1,294 £1,534 £1,317

Private nursing dementia care tends to be the most expensive type, costing an average of £1,534 per week across the UK, or £6,647 per month. Nursing care is slightly less expensive, costing an average of £1,470 a week, or £6,370 per month. Private residential care is the least expensive, costing an average of £1,232 per week across the UK, or £5,339 a per month.

The most expensive region in the UK is London. Here, private nursing fees cost an average of £1,607 per week, or £6,964 per month, while private residential care costs an average of £1,383 per week, or £5,993 per month.

Meanwhile, the UK’s least expensive region is North East England. Here, nursing care costs an average of £1,088 per week, or £4,714 per month, while private residential care costs an average of £1,035 per per week, or £4,485 per month.





Care Home Costs in England

In England, the average self-funded residential care fee is £1,227 per week and £5,317 per month, while the average self-funded nursing care fee is £1,470 per week and £6,370 per month.





Care Home Costs in Scotland

In Scotland, the average self-funded residential care fee is £1,333 per week and £5,776 per month, while the average self-funded nursing care fee is £1,473 per week and £6,383 per month.

Here, everyone aged 65 or over - regardless of income and assets - receives free nursing and personal care support (up to a certain limit) if they’ve been assessed by their local authority as needing it. They'll then have to contribute towards care home accommodation costs.


For 2023/2024, the personal and nursing care payment rates are:

  • £233.10 a week for personal care
  • £104.90 a week for nursing care

If your capital is below the lower limit (£20,250), the state will pay up to the following amounts:

  • £832.10 a week for nursing care
  • £719.50 a week for residential care

While these are the maximum funding amounts, you may not be entitled to this much. The amount of funding you or your loved one receive will depend on the level of care needed and the fees charged by different care homes.





Care Home Costs in Wales

In Wales, the average self-funded residential care fee is £1,198 per week and £5,189 per month, while the average self-funded nursing care fee is £1,456 per week and £6,308 per month.

Unlike other countries in the UK, Wales only has one threshold, rather than an upper and lower limit. This threshold is £50,000 (more on this later).

So, if you have less than £50,000 in capital and assets, you’ll likely be eligible for local authority funding. If you have over that amount, you’ll have to pay for care yourself.





What’s Included In Care Home Fees?

Along with the actual care you’re provided with, care home costs include numerous other things, particularly for residents living permanently in a home.


Fees will usually also cover:

  • Support with personal care (including assistance with getting dressed and undressed, washing, eating and getting around)
  • Meals throughout the day
  • Accommodation (your own bedroom)
  • Housekeeping (such as laundry)
  • Other utility costs (such as gas and electricity)
  • The use of on-site facilities
  • A range of social activities and events

Hidden care home fees

Most care homes are transparent about all their fees - including add-onds such as chiropody appointments. However, some providers may only choose to display the basic cost of a care home. That’s why it’s important to ask about any hidden fees when you visit a home. Some people may not become fully aware of all the costs until after they’ve signed their care home contract.


Hidden fees may include:

  • Transportation (such as to and from medical appointments)
  • Additional facilities and entertainment (this could be inside or outside of the home)
  • Other bills like Wi-Fi and contents insurance

We and our care homes are as transparent as possible with which fees are and aren’t included. For example, each of our care home listings states whether or not bills are included.





Care Home Costs By Provider

The cost of a care home varies from provider to provider, with some charging higher or lower weekly fees than others.

Below, we’ve listed the average cost of care homes by the following large providers on our website.

Care home provider Average weekly cost of residential care Average weekly cost of nursing care
Abbey Healthcare £1,304 £1,549
Advinia Health Care £929 £1,241
Anchor Hanover £1,260
Aria Care £1,367 £1,422
Avery Healthcare £1,175 £1,507
Barchester Healthcare £1,395 £1,621
Bupa £1,184 £1,392
Care UK £1,482 £1,784
Country Court £1,337 £1,379
Four Seasons Health Care £1,084 £1,182
Hallmark Luxury Care Homes £1,634 £1,951
Hamberley Care Homes £1,407 £1,628
Maria Mallaband Care Group £1,224 £1,483
MHA (Methodist Homes) £1,004 £1,292
Minster Care Group £957 £1,218
Runwood Homes £1,157 £1,320
Sanctuary Care £1,222 £1,445
The Orders of St John Care Trust £1,250 £1,722

As you can see, care costs vary significantly from provider to provider. For example, providers such as Advinia Health Care and Minster Care Group, on average, charge under £1,000 per week for residential care. In contrast, more luxury providers such as Hamberley Care Homes and Hallmark Luxury Care Homes charge over £1,400 and £1,600 a week respectively for residential care.

It's worth noting that the cost of care for each of these providers differs, based on the types of care offered, the facilities available and the locations the homes can be found in.





Care Home Costs By Facilities Available

Based on the prices charged by our care home partners, we’ve discovered that the facilities in a care home also affect the overall cost.

The table below summarises these findings, showing the cost of residential and dementia care, depending on whether homes have a particular facility or not.

Facility Average weekly cost of residential care homes offering the facility Average weekly cost of residential care homes not offering the facility Average weekly cost of nursing care homes offering the facility Average weekly cost of nursing care homes not offering the facility
Café and/or restaurant £1,267 £1,107 £1,585 £1,385
Hair and beauty salon £1,199 £1,089 £1,516 £1,264
Cinema £1,367 £1,108 £1,623 £1,417
Library and/or reading room £1,245 £1,161 £1,586 £1,438
Gym £1,511 £1,174 £1,655 £1,471
Spa £1,444 £1,726 £1,159 £1,452

The above table shows that whether or not a care home offers a particular facility greatly impacts the total cost of care. This is especially true for luxury facilities such as cinema rooms, gyms and spas. For example, residential care is, on average, £337 more expensive in a care home containing a gym than one that doesn’t, while nursing care is £184 more expensive.





Who Pays for Care Home Fees?

When it comes to paying for care, you have several different options:


Self-funded care

If you have enough savings, you will be classed as a self-funder. When self funding, you'll be expected to fully fund your own care.


To arrange care as a self-funder, you can:

  • Arrange and pay for care yourself, without involving your local council
  • Ask your local council to arrange and pay for care - the council will then bill you or your loved one (though not all councils offer this service and some may charge a fee)

Local authority funding

Your local authorities may be able to provide financial support with your care home fees. A friend or family can also offer to pay a top up fee towards the cost difference between homes, if your chosen care home is outside your budget.


To be eligible for local authority funding, the following assessments will need to be taken by the care seeker:

  • Care needs assessment – This will work out your care needs and the level of support required from a care home. Every care seeker has the right to a free care needs assessment. If you qualify for care funding then it’s the local authority’s legal duty to provide the appropriate care services

  • Financial assessment – A local authority will also carry out a financial assessment to see whether you can pay for care yourself or if care home funding is needed

If you're eligible for funding assistance, the local council will calculate the total cost of care and then use a means assessment to work out how much will need to be contributed. This amount must be enough to pay the fees for at least one suitable care home.

The council will also let you know how much they’ll contribute to the cost of care and will arrange a suitable residential or nursing home to meet your or your loved one's care needs.


Apply for a care needs assessment here.


NHS-funded care

There are two main types of NHS funding within care homes:


1. NHS Continuing Healthcare

If you've been assessed as having a ‘primary health need’ then NHS Continuing Healthcare provides a care package which is arranged and funded by the NHS. This package covers the full cost of care and residential accommodation.

This NHS Continuing Healthcare funding is available to adults in England who are living with intense, complex and unpredictable care needs.

You must complete an assessment by a team of healthcare professionals to determine if you’re eligible for NHS funded care - and this process can be complex. An organisation called Beacon gives free, independent advice on NHS Continuing Healthcare.

You can visit Beacon’s website or call their free helpline on 0345 548 0300.


2. NHS-funded nursing care

NHS-funded nursing care is provided by the NHS to cover the nursing or medical costs for those living in a care home or nursing home. This care is administered by a registered nurse.


You or your loved one may be eligible if:

  • You're in a care home which is registered to provide nursing care
  • You don’t qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare
  • You've been assessed as needing a registered nurse to properly support your care needs

The amount you or your loved one can get each week will depend on where you live in the UK:

Region Rates of NHS-funded nursing care 2023/2024
England £219.71 a week at the standard rate and £302.25 at the higher rate
Scotland £104.90 a week for nursing care and/or £233.10 a week for personal care - up to a total of £338.00 a week
Wales £201.74 a week
Northern Ireland £100 a week

The Department of Health and Social Care is currently in the process of setting the 2024/2025 rates for NHS-funded nursing care.


You should be assessed for NHS Continuing Healthcare before a decision is made as to whether you’re eligible for NHS Funded Nursing Care.





Savings Thresholds For Care Home Costs 2023/2024

Here are the UK savings thresholds for 2023/2024:

Country Upper threshold Lower threshold
England £23,250 £14,250
Scotland £32,750 £20,250
Wales £50,000 N/A
Northern Ireland £23,250 £14,250

In England and Northern Ireland, if your total savings and assets are over £23,250, you must self-fund your care. If your savings are below £14,250, you’ll qualify for the maximum support from your local council. Though, you'll likely still have to use most of your weekly income from your pension, benefits or savings to make up the difference. You'll be eligible for partial support if your savings are between £14,250 and £23,250.

In Scotland, if your total savings and assets are over £32,750, you must self-fund your care. If your savings are below £20,250, you’ll qualify for the maximum support from your local council. You'll be eligible for partial support if your savings are between £32,750 and £20,250.

In Wales, if your total savings and assets are over £50,000, you must self-fund your care. There’s no lower threshold in Wales, so if you have less than this amount, you’ll be eligible for the maximum amount of support regardless.

The care thresholds are due to change in England in October 2025. Under the new system, only people with savings equal to or greater than £100,000 will qualify for self-funding care.





Help With Care Home Fees

Before you start paying, you’ll need to do a free care needs assessment. You can do one of these through the adult social services department of your local council or local authority.

A needs assessment is usually followed by a financial assessment which decides whether your local authority will help with paying for care fees. These assessments need to be arranged before you start looking for care homes, as this will ensure you receive any funding help you may be eligible for.

After the care needs and financial assessment, you or your loved one will be advised whether you need care or not and what funding you’re eligible for (if any).


How much will the local authority pay for my care?

There’s no set amount of funding support your local authority will provide towards your care. This figure varies from one local authority to another and also depends on the type of care you require.

Your local authority will provide you with a ‘personal budget’ based on your individual needs and the results of your care needs assessment and financial assessment. A personal budget is the amount of money your local authority is willing to pay towards your care costs.

If it’s determined that you require financial assistance, your local authority will suggest one or more suitable residential or nursing homes. The care home(s) they pick will depend on how much they’re willing to contribute towards your care.


Can I choose a care home that’s more expensive than the one my local authority suggests?

Your local council must provide you with at least one affordable care home.

However, if you’re interested in a home that’s more expensive than your personal budget, a relative or close friend can make up the difference through a top-up fee. Put another way, you or somebody else will need to pay the difference between your council funding and what your chosen care home will cost.

For example, if your local council is willing to pay £600 a week towards care but your preferred home costs £800 a week, someone else will need to pay the other £200 of weekly care fees.


Benefits for self-funders

If you self-fund your care in a care home, you could be eligible for benefits such as Attendance Allowance or Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

These benefits aren’t means-tested. You could be eligible for one of these if you require additional care and support due to a long-term health condition or disability. PIP is for people under the State Pension age, and Attendance Allowance is for people above it.

Attendance Allowance and PIP can only be claimed in a care home by somebody who pays for their own care. You can’t claim them if the local authority pays for your care.


Attendance Allowance

For 2023/2024, Attendance Allowance is worth £101.75 a week at the higher rate and £68.10 a week at the lower rate, depending on how much care and supervision you require throughout the day and at night.

These rates are due to rise to £108.55 and £72.65 from April 2024.

Check out our Attendance Allowance rates article for more information.


Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

PIP is split into two components - daily living and mobility. The daily living component is for people who require help with daily tasks, while the mobility component is for people with limited mobility, so need help getting around (either inside or outside of their home).

Each component of PIP has an enhanced and standard rate. Like with Attendance Allowance, the rate you qualify for depends on how much care and supervision you require throughout the day and at night.

For 2023/2024, the daily living component is worth £101.75 a week at the enhanced rate and £68.10 a week at the standard rate. These rates are due to rise to £108.55 and £72.65 from April 2024.

The mobility component is worth £71.00 a week at the enhanced rate and £26.90 a week at the standard rate. These rates are due to rise to £75.75 and £28.70 from April 2024.

Depending on your care needs, you could be eligible to claim both of these. Currently, the most you could get is £172.75 a week (if you qualify for the enhanced rate of both components). This will rise to £184.30 from April 2024.

Check out our PIP rates article for more information.


Can I use equity release to pay for care?

The Equity Release policy is for people over 55. It gives you a way to access the value tied up in a property and turn it into a cash lump sum, without having to sell your house.

There are plenty of online tools available that can help give you an idea of how much money you could receive from using this scheme.

However, be advised that Equity Release policies can be costly to get wrong, so we recommend you speak to a financial advisor before making any decisions.





Will I Have to Sell My Home to Pay For Care?

This depends on how much is in your savings and how you intend to pay for your care and fees.

When you apply for care, your means test will work out how much of your care you’re able to pay for and whether any financial assistance is needed.

You don’t have to sell your home if you’re receiving care and support at home or if you’re applying for short-term care. If you’re applying for permanent care, you won’t have to sell your house if it’s still occupied by a partner, or in certain circumstances, a child, a relative over the age of 60 or a relative who is classed as being disabled.

If there will be no one living in your home once you go into care, you may need to sell it to help cover your care home fees. However, there are circumstances where the value of your house isn’t included in the financial means test, such as the Equity Release scheme.





Find Care Homes in Your Area

Use our handy care home search tool to find local care homes, or use one of the popular location links below to discover some fantastic care homes in your area:





Source: All care home data used in this article is based on Lottie's internal analysis. If you'd like to use this data, please credit us as the source.






Lottie matches care seekers with the best care homes for their needs. You can request a free care home shortlist from our care experts, who will share homes matching your budget, location and type of care needed. You can also search for a care home through our easy-to-use directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the average cost of a care home per week in the UK?

Our research shows that in the UK, residential care home fees are £972 per week, while nursing care costs £1,196 per week. Annually, residential care costs around £51,000, while nursing care costs around £62,000.

When care is privately funded, these costs rise. Here, residential care costs £1,232 per week, while nursing care costs £1,470 per week. Annually, residential care costs around £64,000, while nursing care costs around £76,000.

Are the first six weeks in a care home free?

If you live in England and received NHS continuing healthcare, you’ll be eligible for up to six weeks of free care after leaving the hospital. These six weeks of free care can be given in a care home or at home. The goal is to prevent you from having to go back to the hospital.

What does the £86,000 cap on care costs mean?

The Government has introduced an £86,000 cap on care. This cap is the maximum amount anybody in England will need to spend on their care. Even if you self-fund care, £86,000 will be the most you’ll spend on care across your lifetime.

This £86,000 cap includes residential, nursing and personal care, but doesn’t include things like food, accommodation and energy bills. This care cap is expected to be introduced in October 2025.

How much will the council pay towards a care home?

In England and Northern Ireland, if you have less than £23,250 in savings and assets, you may be eligible for your local council to pay towards some of your care costs. If you have less than £14,250, you’ll be eligible for maximum support.

Your local council will carry out a means test to determine your eligibility for help with these costs. If eligible, your council will then allocate a certain amount of funds towards your care. These funds must be high enough to cover the cost of at least one appropriate care home.

The maximum amount of support available may differ from council to council.

Free Care Fees & Funding Email Course

Written by our team of experts and designed to help families fund later life care in England.

By submitting this form, you're agreeing to Lottie's Privacy Policy & Terms of Platform Use, and consenting to receiving marketing emails from us. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Similar Blog Posts

Based on your selected criteria and the activity of similar individual's using Lottie.