Do You Have To Pay For Carers In Your Own Home?

Finding out what help is available to you and how much it will cost is the first place to start when it comes to sourcing care. If you’re wondering do you have to pay for carers in your own home or not, our guide will talk you through the options, outline your eligibility, and point you in the right direction if you’re entitled to help.

Depending on your individual circumstances and financial situation, you may have to pay some or all of the cost of having carers at home. The key is to understand your eligibility and entitlement, as there are a variety of different means of help, such as using benefits and applying for financial support from your local council.

Key Takeaways

Your local council will assess your needs and your finances to see if you are entitled to any financial support
Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment benefits can be used to make contributions
The size of the contribution you may have to make also takes into account the specific type of care you need, not just your finances

While trying to navigate the system may feel overwhelming or daunting, it’s important to take your time and work through things step by step. Understanding why you need a carer at home in the first place may help you to clarify your thinking.

Reasons why you may need a carer within your home

Having a carer at home is something that many understandably feel unsure of for several reasons. Pride, loss of independence, and privacy are all things that many of us naturally think of when we’re faced with the prospect of needing help from someone outside of our immediate circle of friends and family. This is perfectly understandable, which is why trained carers will work with you to meet your needs in a way that is friendly, personable, and dignified.

The most common reasons to consider hiring a carer at home are:

On a temporary basis, as you recover from a serious illness or injury that has left you unable to care for yourself for a period of time
To provide some respite care so that a loved one who acts as your primary carer can get the time and space they need to manage their energy
Overnight care if you need additional assistance or peace of mind during the nighttime
For a fixed period, when other demands mean that your primary carer is away and you would otherwise be home alone
Full-time care at home on an ongoing basis due to long-term or permanent changes in your needs

Finding someone you feel comfortable having in your home for an extended period of time can make a real difference to your peace of mind and your quality of life.

How home care can help you

Home care is, by its very nature, a personal and highly flexible service. To make sure your needs are met in a way that you feel comfortable with, it may help to outline the specific things you are looking for assistance with. Common examples include:

Bathing, personal care, and other daily admin
Cooking and meal preparation to look after you
Managing medication so that nothing is missed
Essential shopping, so you don’t have to go without
Help with housework so you don’t get behind
Mobility support in and out of the home

Many also find that their carer can provide companionship along the way, allowing them to socialise and open up when they need to. This is why finding someone you feel comfortable chatting with and talking to may help you adapt to having someone in your home more quickly.

Paying for carers in your own home

There is a common misconception that if you want a carer in your own home, you will have to sell your home to pay for their services. It’s important to note that care at home and securing a place in a full-time residential care home are two very different things. Let’s break down the process of paying for carers in your own home so you can see why this is the case.

The first step is to contact your local authority’s adult social care services and request a care needs assessment. Before there is any discussion of cost and payment, the local authority first needs to determine the specific nature of the care you need. If they deem you eligible for some form of care, they will then carry out a financial assessment (means test) to figure out how the care will be paid for:

If you own your primary residence, its value will not be included in the financial assessment—this is not the case if you are looking to move into full-time residential care
If you own other properties, whether they be rental properties or holiday homes, then their value will be included in the financial assessment
If you have savings and investments, their total value will be included in the financial assessment. The upper limit in England is currently £23,250, with slightly different limits being used throughout the rest of the UK. If you exceed this upper limit, you will most likely have to pay the full cost of any care at home you need

When conducting your own research online, you may come across what are known as Deferred Payment Agreements. This is where your local council effectively pays your care fees in exchange for a full repayment when you sell your home at a later date. It’s important to note that such arrangements are used for the costs of residential care, and not to cover the costs of care at home.

There are also several ways in which the benefits system may be able to help:

Attendance Allowance: This is for those who are of State Pension age or over and who need help with personal care at home
Personal Independence Payment (PIP): If you are aged 16 to State Pension age, you may be entitled to a non-means-tested payment on an ongoing basis
Disability Living Allowance (DLA): Children under 16 may qualify for DLA, which can then be put towards the cost of care at home
Council Tax Reduction: Depending on the nature of your care arrangements, you may be able to apply for a reduction in your monthly bill, allowing you to put more money towards the costs of care

How to find a carer for care at home

Knowing where to look can be difficult, which is why we have created a detailed list of options you can work through whenever you feel ready:

Search online directories like the Care Quality Commission so that you can see a list of registered and certified home care providers
Contact the Carers Trust so that you can see a range of local services that are designed to help primary carers get breaks when they need to
Explore fully managed care at home services in your local area by searching “fully managed care at home” followed by your location
Place an advert online in local community Facebook groups for a private carer, and then verify their credentials and experience by asking for references

In many cases, you will be left to consider whether to go with an agency vs finding your own private carer, and both options have their merits. Contacting several agencies in your local area while at the same time placing an advert for a private carer will allow you to look at all of your available options. It’s then a case of choosing who you feel comfortable with and who can provide the care you need while working with your budget and eligibility constraints.

What to look for when hiring a carer in your own home

The carer you hire to work in your own home should be personable, flexible, experienced, and kind. These traits and characteristics will ensure they treat you with dignity and respect, all while being mindful of the fact that they are working in your private residence. Many recipients of care find it helps to carry out the following three-step process:

Arrange an interview with a potential private carer, whether in person or via a video call, and get a sense of their manner and demeanour
Clearly outline your needs and expectations to make sure that the two of you are aligned—you may find it helps to have a friend or relative with you for this stage
Verify the carer’s credentials by asking for references and checking that they are registered with the Care Quality Commission

Taking your time to find someone you feel comfortable having in your home on a regular basis will help you to ease yourself into the new setup. The more comfortable you feel having them there, the easier you will find it to ask for help when you need to.

You may also find our guide on how to hire a personal care assistant with direct payments helpful.

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