What happens when reablement ends? Arranging ongoing care

After reablement ends, the team reviews what your relative can now do. If they still need help, the council carries out a Care Act needs assessment and, if they are eligible, a financial assessment to work out who pays. Ongoing care can then be arranged by the council, paid through a direct payment, or arranged privately. Planning before the last week avoids a gap in care.

At a glance

• Reablement is free for up to six weeks. Ongoing care after that is usually means-tested.
• The council must assess anyone who appears to need care and support, whatever their finances.
• In 2026/27, people with more than £23,250 in capital usually pay the full cost of council-arranged care. The home is ignored for care at home (DHSC).
• You can take council funding as a direct payment and choose your own CQC-registered agency.
• Private visiting care in England typically costs about £32–£34 an hour as of 2026, varying by region.

What happens at the end of reablement?

Towards the end of reablement, the team reviews progress against the goals set at the start. There are usually three outcomes:

1. No further help needed. Your relative has regained enough independence. They may keep equipment and be given contacts in case things change.
2. Some ongoing care needed. The team refers your relative for a Care Act needs assessment, if one hasn’t been done, and the council plans longer-term support.
3. Complex health needs. If needs are mainly health-related and significant, the team or GP may start the NHS Continuing Healthcare process.

Ask the reablement team early: “When is the final review, and what happens if Mum still needs help?” This gives you time to plan.

Can reablement be extended?

Sometimes. In England, regulation 3 of the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014 makes intermediate care, including reablement, free for up to six weeks. Statutory guidance says councils may keep providing it free beyond six weeks, and that reablement should not be cut short just because six weeks have passed.

If your relative is still making progress, ask for an extension and explain why. Read our explainer on reablement and the six weeks of free care for the full rules.

Step 1: The Care Act needs assessment

Under section 9 of the Care Act 2014, the council must assess any adult who appears to need care and support, regardless of their finances. This is the council for the area where your relative normally lives.

Your relative is eligible if all three of these apply (Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2015):

1. Their needs come from a physical or mental impairment or illness.
2. Because of those needs, they can’t achieve two or more outcomes, such as managing nutrition, personal hygiene, using the toilet, getting dressed, moving around the home safely or keeping the home habitable.
3. As a result, there is likely to be a significant impact on their wellbeing.

“Can’t achieve” includes tasks they can only do with help, or that cause significant pain, distress or anxiety, put them at risk, or take much longer than normal.

Tips for the assessment

• Describe a bad day, not a good one.
• Mention nights, falls, near misses and anything they have stopped doing.
• Share what the reablement workers saw. Ask the team to pass on their notes.
• Ask for a carer’s assessment for yourself if you help.

Step 2: The financial assessment

If your relative is eligible, the council works out what they should pay. The main 2026/27 figures for England (DHSC) are:

The care cost cap that was planned for October 2025 has been scrapped, so there is no lifetime cap on what people pay.

Some income is disregarded, and disability-related expenses can be deducted, so ask the council to explain how the charge was worked out. Our guide to the home care means test covers this in detail.

Step 3: Choosing how care is arranged

If the council is funding some or all of the care, there are two main routes.

Council-arranged care

The council commissions a home care agency to provide the agreed hours. It is the simplest option but gives you less say over the agency and visit times. The Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price for council-funded home care at £34.42 an hour for 2026/27, and many councils pay less. In London, for example, councils paid an average of about £21.87 an hour in 2025/26, below the England average.

Direct payments

The council pays your relative’s personal budget as money, so you can choose:

• a CQC-registered home care agency of your choice, possibly the one already known to you;
• a personal assistant you employ directly.

If the agency charges more than the council’s rate, the difference may need to be topped up. Read our guide to direct payments for home care.

What if your relative isn’t eligible, or pays full cost?

Many families end up arranging private care, either because their relative has capital above £23,250 or because the council’s assessment found needs were not eligible.

Even if your relative will pay in full, it is worth asking for a council needs assessment. It gives you a professional view of what care is needed. The council must also provide information and advice.

As of 2026, typical private prices in England are shown below. Prices vary by region.

Sources: The Care Panel analysis of provider and marketplace prices, including Lottie (September 2026; Lottie Care Index Q3 2026 median £33.49 an hour) and London provider price lists. Sources vary, so always get a written quote.

For a sense of weekly costs, 7 hours a week of care at £33 an hour is about £231 a week. Our guide to how many hours of home care someone needs helps you estimate.

A simple timeline to follow

Every case is different, and some reablement periods are shorter than six weeks. Start as early as you can.

Avoiding a gap in care

The riskiest moment is when reablement stops and ongoing care hasn’t started. To avoid it:

• Ask for the end date in writing as soon as possible.
• Chase the needs and financial assessments before the last week.
• Contact agencies early. Popular agencies may have waiting lists for particular times, such as early mornings.
• Consider private care as a bridge if council-arranged care is delayed. Check with the council how this fits with any funding decision.
• Check the equipment. Ask whether items provided during reablement can stay, and who to contact if something needs repairing.

Help with the cost

• Attendance Allowance for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care: £76.70 or £114.60 a week in 2026/27 (DWP). It is not means-tested. See our guide to using Attendance Allowance for home care.
• PIP for people under State Pension age.
• Carer’s Allowance of £86.45 a week for an eligible family carer.
• NHS Continuing Healthcare if needs are primarily health needs.
• Council Tax discounts may apply in some circumstances, for example for someone with a severe mental impairment.

Our hospital discharge and reablement hub brings all of this together; it is written for London, but most of it applies across England.

If you disagree with the council’s decision

• Ask for the assessment and decision in writing, with reasons.
• Ask for a review if something is wrong or missing.
• Use the council’s complaints procedure.
• If still unhappy, contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. It is free and can also look at complaints from people who pay for their own care.

Frequently asked questions

What happens after the 6 weeks of free reablement?

The reablement team reviews progress. If your relative still needs help, the council carries out a needs assessment and, if they are eligible, a financial assessment. Care can then be council-arranged, paid through a direct payment, or arranged privately. Councils may extend free reablement if it is still helping.

Do I have to pay for care after reablement?

Possibly. Ongoing council-arranged care is means-tested. In 2026/27, people with capital over £23,250 usually pay the full cost, while those under £14,250 pay only from income. The value of the home is ignored for care at home. The council must leave at least the Minimum Income Guarantee.

Can we keep the same carers after reablement ends?

Not usually, if reablement was provided by a council team. If it was delivered by an agency, you may be able to continue with them privately or through a direct payment. Ask the reablement team who provided the service and whether they offer ongoing care.

What if care isn’t ready when reablement stops?

Tell the council straight away and ask what will happen in the meantime. Councils can meet urgent needs before an assessment is finished. Some families arrange private care as a short-term bridge. Keep a record of dates and conversations in case you need to complain.

How long does the council take to arrange ongoing care?

There is no fixed legal deadline. Statutory guidance asks for a reasonable timescale that fits the urgency. Start the process early by asking for the needs assessment during reablement, not after it ends.

Sources

• legislation.gov.uk: Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, reg 3
• GOV.UK: Care and support statutory guidance
• SCIE: Care Act 2014 eligibility
• DHSC: Social care charging 2026 to 2027
• House of Commons Library: Adult social care funding (England)
• Homecare Association: Response to the Low Pay Commission 2026
• GOV.UK: Apply for direct payments
• DWP: Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027
• GOV.UK: Council Tax discounts for disabled people
• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: Adult social care
• Lottie: Care at home costs
• Certified Care: Home care costs in 2026

This guide is general information, not financial, legal or medical advice. Last reviewed September 2026.

This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.