Council funding and the means test
Your council can assess care needs for free, and may pay towards care at home after a financial assessment. Here is how it works in England.
Step 1: the needs assessment
Anyone can ask their council for a needs assessment, and it's free. Someone from the council looks at what help is needed day to day, and whether you are eligible for support. You can ask for one for yourself or for someone you look after, and family carers can ask for a carer's assessment at the same time.
Who is eligible
In England, the national eligibility criteria (the Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2015) say a person is eligible if all three apply:
- Their needs come from a physical or mental impairment or illness
- Because of those needs, they can't achieve two or more of the outcomes listed below
- As a result, there is, or is likely to be, a significant impact on their wellbeing
The outcomes are:
- Managing and maintaining nutrition
- Maintaining personal hygiene
- Managing toilet needs
- Being appropriately clothed
- Being able to make use of the home safely
- Maintaining a habitable home environment
- Developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships
- Accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
- Making use of necessary facilities or services in the local community, including public transport and recreational facilities
- Carrying out any caring responsibilities for a child
Step 2: the financial assessment
If you are eligible, the council works out what you should pay towards your care with a financial assessment (means test). In England, you will not usually get help with the cost of care if you have savings worth more than £23,250, called the upper capital limit. Your home is only counted if you are moving into a care home, not for care at home (NHS).
Step 3: the care and support plan
The council writes a plan setting out the care you need and how it will be met. It may arrange care itself, or give you direct payments so you can choose and arrange care yourself.
If the council says no, or is slow
- Ask for the decision and the reasons in writing
- Ask what information they used, and whether anything was missed
- Make a formal complaint using the council's complaints procedure
- If you are still unhappy, contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Each nation has its own rules. In Scotland, personal care is free for anyone assessed as needing it, regardless of age, condition or means (mygov.scot). In Wales, the most a council can currently charge for care and support at home is £100 a week, after a financial assessment (GOV.WALES). In Northern Ireland, care is arranged through your local Health and Social Care Trust.
Rates and rules checked against GOV.UK and the NHS in October 2026. Benefit rates usually change each April.
More on paying for care
Questions
How do I ask for a needs assessment?
Contact your local council's adult social care team by phone or online. You can ask for yourself or for someone you look after.
Is my house counted for care at home?
No. In England, your property is only counted if you are moving into a care home.
Can family carers get help too?
Yes. Ask for a carer's assessment, which looks at the support you need as a carer.
Can council funding pay for a carer introduced by LCH Care?
Often through direct payments, which many councils allow you to use for a self-employed carer. Check with your council first.