Home Care Costs in the UK: What to Expect in 2026

Topic cluster: Supporting Your Parent at Home | Reading time: 6 min

For families exploring care options for a parent, understanding the cost of home care is essential — both for budgeting and for comparing it fairly against the cost of a care home. This guide sets out current home care costs across the UK, the factors that affect pricing, and how to reduce costs through benefits and local authority support.

What Is Home Care?

Home care (also called domiciliary care) covers a wide range of support provided in your parent's own home, typically by a care worker visiting for a set period each day. It can range from brief check-in visits for medication reminders to several hours of hands-on personal care each day.

Types of home care:

Personal care — washing, dressing, toileting
Medication management — prompting or administering medication
Domestic support — cleaning, laundry, shopping, meal preparation
Companionship — social visits and accompanying to appointments
Specialist care — dementia care, post-surgery care, palliative care

UK Home Care Costs 2026

Home care is typically priced per hour, with costs varying significantly by region and provider type.

Region	Typical Hourly Rate (Agency)	Typical Hourly Rate (Self-Employed)
London	£25–£40	£18–£28
South East	£22–£35	£16–£25
South West	£20–£30	£15–£22
Midlands	£18–£28	£14–£20
North of England	£17–£26	£13–£19
Scotland	£18–£28	£13–£20
Wales	£18–£27	£13–£19

Live-in care (a carer living in your parent's home providing round-the-clock support) typically costs £900–£1,800 per week, depending on needs and location.

Typical Weekly Costs by Level of Need

Support Level	Hours/week	Weekly Cost (approx.)
Light support (shopping, meals)	5–7 hours	£100–£200
Moderate personal care	14–21 hours	£300–£600
High-needs personal care	35+ hours	£700–£1,400
Live-in care	N/A	£900–£1,800

For context, a residential care home typically costs £800–£1,200/week, and a nursing home £1,000–£1,800/week. For moderate needs, home care can be significantly cheaper. At higher needs levels, costs become comparable.

What Affects Home Care Pricing

Time of day and day of week:

Evening, overnight, and weekend rates are typically higher — often 15–25% above standard daytime rates
Bank holiday rates can be 50–100% higher

Minimum visit duration: Most agencies have a minimum visit time — often 30 or 60 minutes. Brief pop-in visits of 15 minutes are less common, though some providers offer them.

Agency vs. self-employed: Care agencies are typically more expensive but handle vetting (DBS checks), training, payroll, insurance, and cover for sickness. Self-employed or direct-hire carers are cheaper but place greater responsibility on the family.

Specialist care: Dementia care, nursing care, or palliative care requires higher-trained staff and is priced accordingly.

Getting Help with Costs

Local Authority Funding

If your parent has eligible care needs under the Care Act 2014, the local authority may fund some or all of their home care. Eligibility depends on a Care Needs Assessment and a financial assessment (means test).

In England, the upper capital limit is £23,250 — above this, your parent is expected to self-fund. Below £14,250, they make no contribution from capital.

Scotland and Wales have different thresholds and free personal care provisions (see below).

Free Personal Care in Scotland

In Scotland, personal care is provided free of charge to everyone assessed as needing it, regardless of income or assets. In 2026, this is worth up to £350/week. Nursing care is also free. Domestic tasks (cleaning, cooking) may still be means-tested.

Direct Payments

Rather than having the council arrange care, your parent can receive funding as a direct payment and arrange care independently. This gives much more flexibility in choosing a carer.

Benefits That Help with Home Care Costs

Attendance Allowance: £76.70 or £114.60/week (over 65) — not means tested, not affected by savings, can be used towards any care
Personal Independence Payment: For those under 65 — Daily Living component to fund care
Carer's Allowance: For family members providing 35+ hours/week of care

Checklist: Before Engaging a Home Care Agency

☐ Is the agency registered with the Care Quality Commission (or Care Inspectorate Wales / Care Inspectorate Scotland)?
☐ What is their CQC rating?
☐ Do they carry out DBS checks on all care workers?
☐ What is their policy for sickness cover and carer changes?
☐ Is the quoted hourly rate inclusive of travel time?
☐ Are there minimum visit durations?
☐ Are evening, weekend, and bank holiday rates different?
☐ What is the notice period to cancel or change?
☐ Do they provide a written care plan and regular reviews?

Exploring whether home care or a care home is right for your parent? homeformum.com helps families compare options, find providers, and understand funding.