Care at home
People aged 18 or over and living at home are not charged for the personal care they are assessed as needing.
Free personal care is available regardless of your income or capital assets.
People of any age who need nursing care receive it free of charge.
Personal care includes help with a variety of tasks such as:
- bathing
- personal hygiene
- dressing
- getting in and out of bed
- continence management
- assistance with eating, special diets and food preparation
You will still need to pay for any flat rate services you receive such as community alarm and meals. See our help to live at home pages for details about these and other services.
To find out if you are eligible to receive free personal care you can request an assessment by us. Call ACCESSLine on 03452 777 778.
If you receive free personal care, your entitlement to claim Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment will not be affected.
Free personal care for people living in a care home
We pay the care home for personal and nursing care on your behalf. Payments do not depend on your financial circumstances. We will make them no matter what income and capital you have.
We provide:
- £212.85 a week for personal care
- £95.80 a week for nursing care
To qualify for free personal care, you must be:
- 18 or over; and
- assessed by us as needing personal care (for example, you have difficulty bathing, dressing, eating or getting to the toilet).
To qualify for free nursing care you must be:
- 18 or over; and
- assessed by us as needing nursing care (for example, you need a qualified nurse to monitor your condition)
You'll find more detail in our care home fees information page.