Do you have to pay care home fees? Is state funding available for care home fees in the UK?
People often assume that if they ever need to go into a care home the care home fees will be paid by the state. However, in practice it doesn’t always work that way. People are frequently required to pay their care home fees themselves. Furthermore, if they own property then the value of the family home will be taken into consideration when the means test is carried out.
Because of property values in the UK today, anyone who owns their own home is likely to be liable for the full cost of their care under a means test. People also tend to be unaware of just how expensive care home fees can be. On average the weekly cost of care works out at around £800. Over a year this equates to more than £40,00, so you will appreciate that the equity in a property that has taken a lifetime to build up can quickly be dissipated in a few short years.
But do you have to pay care home fees privately? What state funding is available to meet this cost?
Where a person’s need for care is primarily a health one the NHS is under an obligation meet the cost of care in full, regardless of that person’s income or savings. So if you or your loved one have significant health needs, then funding may be available.
]However, entitlement to state funding of care home fees is not widely publicised and the NHS sometimes restricts access to funding or unfairly refuses funding. People therefore often end up paying care home fees privately when they do not have to do so.
In these circumstances it can pay to speak to a specialist lawyer about the obtaining funding for future fees and reclaiming those fees that have already been paid.
Do you have to pay care home fees? How we can help
If you are interested in challenging an NHS funding decision or reclaiming care home fees then you can call our free legal helpline on 0333 888 0404 or email [email protected] for a free case assessment and details of no win, no fee funding.
