Care Home Fees Handbook

Is this where you are right now?

Mum or Dad has had a fall, a hospital stay or a diagnosis, and someone has said the words "care home".
You've heard "they'll take the house" and you don't know what's true.
A care home has handed you a contract and a fee list and wants an answer this week.
You're wondering whether to sign the house over to the children, and you're not sure if that helps or backfires.
Savings are going down every month and nobody has told you what happens when they run low.

Then you need the rules in one place, in plain words, and the questions to ask before anything gets signed.

What you'll know by the end

Which money band you're in

The capital limits, explained with a worked example, and what counts as savings and what doesn't.

When the house counts, and when it doesn't

Who can live there and keep it out of the sums, and how the 12-week property disregard works.

The NHS funding families aren't told about

How NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care work, and the exact question to ask.

What to check in the contract

Fee rises, deposits, extras, top-ups and fees after a death, measured against consumer law guidance.

Why giving the house away can backfire

The deprivation of assets rules in plain words, so you get advice before you act, not after.

What to do when the money runs low

When to contact the council, and the question to ask a care home before you choose it.

Inside The Care Home Fees Handbook

01The Order of Operations
02The Needs Assessment and Who Arranges the Place
03The Capital Limits in Plain English
04When the House Counts, and When It Doesn't
05The 12-Week Property Disregard
06Deferred Payment Agreements
07Pensions, Benefits and the Money You Keep
08NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-Funded Nursing Care
09Leaving Hospital for a Care Home
10Council Rates, Private Rates and Top-Up Fees
11The Contract: What to Check Before You Sign
12Gifts, Transfers and the Deprivation Rules
13Lasting Powers of Attorney and Who Can Act
14When the Money Runs Low
15Couples: When One Partner Moves Into Care
16Challenging a Decision
17Your Next 30 Days

A one-page summary of every walk-away sign
Fill-in worksheets: capital tally, "who lives in the house", fee comparison, 30-day plan
Question scripts for the care home, the council and the NHS
Every figure linked to its source, checked for 2026/27

What this book is, and isn't

This book covers England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules.
It explains the rules. It won't show you how to hide money or give the house away to dodge fees, because that can leave your family with a bigger bill.
It's general information, not legal or financial advice. For your own situation, it points you to Age UK, Independent Age or a solicitor.

Questions

Is this a printed book?

No. It's a PDF ebook you download straight after buying. You can read it on a phone, tablet or computer, or print the pages you need.

The price is in dollars. Can I buy from the UK?

Yes. The shop shows the price in dollars and your card converts it to pounds at checkout.

Who is Pauline Ashworth?

Pauline is the fictional narrator of our YouTube channel, voiced by an AI presenter. The facts in the handbook are researched from GOV.UK, NHS and council sources, and each figure is linked to its source.

Is it up to date?

Figures are checked for the 2026/27 financial year. Rates change each April, so the book shows where to check the current figure.

Before you sign, sell or give anything away, read this.