When can care be funded?
When the time comes to consider moving yourself or a loved one into a care home, funding is usually one of the first concerns on the list. There are several different options to investigate, including self-funding and local authority funding, so it’s important to research the best choice for you and your family.
At Oyster Care Homes, we understand this process can be intimidating — and there’s a lot of information to take in. That’s why we’ve put together a helpful guide which covers the different types of care home funding in the UK, so you can view all the key details in one place.
Local Authority Funding
To find out whether or not your loved one is eligible for care home funding, or if they’ll need to self-fund, you can organise both a care needs assessment and a financial means test with your local council.
The care needs assessment will determine the type and amount of care your loved one requires, while the means test allows the council the establish whether you’re eligible for care home council funding. If your loved one doesn’t need to move into a care home, but still requires regular visits from carers, they might also be entitled to local authority funding for care in their own home.
NHS Funding
If your loved one needs care because of their health, the NHS may be able to organise and potentially fund their care completely, under the NHS Continuing Healthcare plan (NHS CHC).
The NHS CHC assessment investigates different elements of your loved one’s wellbeing, including criteria like breathing, continence, mobility, nutrition and cognition. This type of funding often covers conditions like respiratory problems, mobility issues, muscular disorders and degenerative brain diseases like Parkinson’s or dementia.
If your loved one isn’t eligible for full-time care funded by the NHS, but the assessment still finds they require professional nursing care, they could be entitled to NHS-funded nursing care (NHS FNC), which is paid directly to the care home.
Self-Funding Your Care
The financial means test takes stock of the financial capital of your loved one, including everything from benefits and savings to investments, property, pensions and any other assets. In England and Northern Ireland, those with income and capital exceeding £23,250 are required to wholly self-fund their care, while those with between £14,250 and £23,250 will partially pay, but are usually able to access some local authority funding.
What is the attendance allowance?
If you’re wondering what benefits you can claim if you’re in a care home, the good news is that those who completely self-fund their care home costs are able to claim Attendance Allowance. Similarly, those who receive NHS-funded nursing care, but still pay for their own residential care, can also claim Attendance Allowance.
This benefit isn’t means tested, and is designed to help those with long-term mental or physical illness, or a disability, who have reached State Pension age. Attendance Allowance is split into two different rates, depending on the level of support and supervision you need over the day and night.
For 2024 and 2025, the lower rate is fixed at a weekly payment of £72.65, while the higher rate is a weekly payment of £108.55.
Charitable Funding
Some charities can also offer financial support for individuals who are struggling to pay for their own care. This is usually in the instance where the local authority is providing some funding, but a top-up payment is required by either the care home resident, a friend or family member — or if neither of these options are possible — a charitable organisation.
For instance, some care homes are owned by organisations with connections to military organisations, and can therefore accept grants and donations from charities that support veterans from the armed forces.
Funding at Oyster Care Homes
In the UK, many people with sufficient financial resources choose to self-fund their care in order to access the highest standard of facilities available — for instance, all the residents in Oyster Care Homes self-fund their care in its entirety.
In this case, you won’t need to go through time-consuming care needs or financial assessments with the local council, which can take several months. Instead, we carry out our own independent assessments to establish the best type of care for your loved one, and ensure they have the financial means to pay for it.
To find out more about our care homes, fees, or the care we offer, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Oyster Care Homes team and request a call back. We’ll be in touch as soon as possible to answer your questions, or arrange a visit to one of our beautiful homes.
