Care Funding Calculator: Will You Have to Pay for Care?
If you’re trying to work out how your loved one’s care might be paid for, start here. Our free calculator gives you an indicative picture of the funding routes that may apply in England — including self-funding, local-authority support and NHS funding.
You don’t need to understand the care system before you start. We’ll ask a few straightforward questions about where they live, their care needs, savings, property and income, then explain what the answers may mean.
Before you assume you have to pay
One of the biggest mistakes families make is assuming that care-home fees automatically have to be paid from savings or the family home.
Depending on the person’s circumstances, there may be help from the local authority, the NHS, or both.
And NHS Continuing Healthcare is completely separate from the social-care means test.
Find out what funding may apply
It takes around five minutes. You can use it even if you don’t know exactly what type of care your loved one needs yet.
Care funding calculator
Get an indication of how your loved one's care could be funded in England.
What type of care?
Savings and property
Income
Enter regular weekly income. Different income sources can be treated differently in an official assessment.
Is their health deteriorating rapidly?
This helps identify whether the NHS Continuing Healthcare Fast Track pathway may be relevant. It does not determine eligibility.
Care-home fee
Optional. Leave blank to use the illustrative figure of £1,000/week.
What does the calculator actually look at?
Paying for care isn’t simply a question of looking at someone’s savings. The funding route can depend on the type of care required, where the person lives, their financial circumstances and whether their needs may qualify for NHS funding.
Where they live
Your postcode helps identify the relevant local authority and local NHS organisation. This allows the calculator to use the appropriate indicative local-authority fee information.
Type of care
Residential care and nursing care have different funding considerations. Nursing care can also bring NHS-funded nursing care into the picture.
Savings and property
Capital is important when considering local-authority means-tested care funding, but property rules and disregards can make the position more complicated than simply asking whether someone owns a house.
Income
Pensions and other income can affect what someone is expected to contribute. The official financial assessment considers the person’s individual circumstances.
The care-home fee
We can use an illustrative figure or you can enter the actual weekly fee you’re being quoted. That helps you understand the potential difference between the fee and the indicative local-authority rate.
NHS funding
The calculator also highlights when NHS Continuing Healthcare, Fast Track CHC or NHS-funded nursing care may be worth investigating.
Will they have to pay for care themselves?
There are three broad situations you may encounter when looking at care-home funding in England.
Capital above the upper limit
If someone’s assessable capital is above the upper capital limit, they will normally be expected to pay for their care themselves at the outset.
But self-funding does not automatically mean there is no NHS funding available. CHC is assessed separately from the social-care means test.
Understand the true cost of care →Capital between the limits
Someone in this range may receive some local-authority support but will normally still be expected to contribute towards their care.
The calculation can include an element of tariff income from capital between the relevant thresholds.
Check your indicative position →Lower levels of capital
Someone below the lower capital limit is generally more likely to qualify for local-authority financial support, although income and individual circumstances still matter.
The council carries out the formal financial assessment and decides the actual contribution.
Calculate your position →But don’t stop at the means test
If your relative has substantial or complex healthcare needs, the question may not simply be “How much will the council pay?”
It may be: “Should the NHS be funding their care instead?”
Understand NHS Continuing Healthcare →Could the NHS pay instead?
This is one of the most important things to understand before agreeing to pay for care privately.
NHS Continuing Healthcare
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of care arranged and funded entirely by the NHS for adults who meet the eligibility requirements.
It is based on health and care needs, not savings or property.
Read the complete CHC guide →Fast Track CHC
If someone is rapidly deteriorating and may be entering a terminal phase, the NHS Fast Track pathway may be relevant.
An appropriate clinician completes the Fast Track Pathway Tool. It is not a means-tested route.
Understand Fast Track funding →NHS-funded nursing care
Someone living in a nursing home who needs nursing care may qualify for NHS-funded nursing care even if they don’t qualify for the full CHC package.
This is separate from CHC and does not normally cover the whole care-home fee.
Understand NHS-funded nursing care →Don’t just ask whether they have a diagnosis
A diagnosis alone doesn’t determine CHC eligibility.
The assessment looks at the person’s actual care needs and considers the nature, intensity, complexity and unpredictability of those needs.
That is why evidence of what happens in day-to-day care matters.
What if they own their home?
This is one of the questions families worry about most.
Owning a property does not automatically mean it has to be sold to pay for care. Whether a property is included in a financial assessment depends on the person’s circumstances and the applicable property rules and disregards.
If someone is moving into permanent care and their home is involved in the funding decision, make sure you understand the position before making a major financial decision.
Don’t rush into selling the family home
Get the financial assessment and understand how the property will be treated before assuming that selling is the only option.
Understand Deferred Payment Agreements →Funding is only half the decision
Once families start thinking about money, it’s very easy to focus entirely on the cheapest option.
But the right question is also: what type of care does this person actually need?
Residential care and nursing care are not interchangeable, and the right setting depends on the person’s actual needs.
What type of care home might they need?
Work through mobility, personal care, dementia, nursing, continence, medication and other care needs.
Start the Care Home Finder Assessment → CARE HOME FINDERFind suitable care homes
Search for residential, nursing or dementia care homes near your chosen location.
Find care homes near you → GUIDEHow do you choose the right home?
Know what to ask, what to look for and how to compare care homes before making a decision.
Read the care-home guide →What will the care actually cost?
The amount a council is willing to contribute and the price a care home charges are not necessarily the same thing.
This is one of the most important distinctions families need to understand.
A local authority may have an indicative rate for the type of care required, while a particular care home may charge considerably more. That difference can become a third-party or top-up issue depending on the circumstances.
The True Cost of a Care Home
Understand self-funding, council contributions, NHS-funded nursing care, CHC and the costs families often overlook.
A simple way to approach care funding
Understand the care needs
Work out what level and type of care your loved one actually needs.
Assess their care needs →Check NHS funding
Don’t assume that social care is the only funding route. Consider CHC, Fast Track and FNC where relevant.
Explore CHC →Understand the financial position
Use the calculator to understand the likely local-authority funding position.
Use the calculator →Understand the actual fees
Compare the council’s indicative rate with the prices of suitable care homes.
Understand care costs →Find suitable homes
Once you understand the care and funding position, start looking at suitable providers.
Find care homes →You’re not expected to know the system already
Care funding is complicated because families are suddenly expected to understand social care, NHS funding, financial assessments, care-home fees and legal arrangements at exactly the point when they are already worried about someone they love.
You don’t need to become an expert overnight.
Start with the question you need answered today, then follow the path that makes sense for your situation.
Start with the question that’s worrying you most
Whether you’re worried about the cost, unsure what type of care your loved one needs, or wondering whether the NHS should be paying, Carentis can help you work through the next step.
Start the free Care Funding CalculatorImportant: The Carentis Care Funding Calculator provides an indicative guide only. It does not carry out a formal local-authority financial assessment and cannot determine eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare, NHS-funded nursing care or any other funding scheme. Local authorities and NHS organisations make formal decisions based on individual circumstances and current guidance.