Benefits and funding
Benefits and funding for care in England: 2026/27 rates
Some help with care costs depends on savings and some doesn't. Attendance Allowance, PIP and Carer's Allowance are paid whatever someone has saved; council funding is means-tested; NHS Continuing Healthcare depends only on health needs. Check all of them: many families miss help they are entitled to.
Reviewed 20 October 2026 by The Care Panel editorial team · Next review April 2027 · Editorial policy
Benefits that help pay for care: 2026/27 weekly rates
| Benefit | Who it's for | Weekly amount | Means-tested? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance Allowance | Over State Pension age, needs help with personal care | Lower £76.70 · Higher £114.60 | No |
| Personal Independence Payment (PIP), daily living | 16 to State Pension age, long-term condition | Standard £76.70 · Enhanced £114.60 | No |
| PIP, mobility | 16 to State Pension age, difficulty getting around | Standard £30.30 · Enhanced £80.00 | No |
| Carer's Allowance | Caring 35+ hours a week for someone on a qualifying benefit | £86.45 (earnings limit £204 a week) | Earnings only |
| Pension Credit | Over State Pension age on a low income | Tops income up to £238.00 single, £363.25 couple | Yes |
| Pension Credit severe disability addition | Gets Attendance Allowance and nobody claims Carer's Allowance for them | +£86.05 | Yes |
| Pension Credit carer addition | Entitled to Carer's Allowance | +£48.15 | Yes |
DWP rates from 6 April 2026. State Pension age is 66, rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
Free tools: Attendance Allowance checker · NHS Continuing Healthcare checker · What will I pay?
Council funding
The council pays towards care after a care needs assessment (free for everyone) and a financial assessment. If savings and assets are above £23,250, you pay in full. Between £14,250 and £23,250 you contribute £1 a week for every £250. Below £14,250, you contribute only from income. Your home is not counted for care at home, and for a care home it is ignored for the first 12 weeks or while a partner still lives there. A deferred payment agreement can delay selling a home.
NHS funding
NHS Continuing Healthcare pays the full cost of care, at home or in a care home, when someone's needs are mainly health needs. It isn't means-tested. NHS-funded nursing care is a weekly payment from the NHS straight to a nursing home towards the cost of a registered nurse, for everyone in a nursing home who needs nursing care. See our guide to funded nursing care.
Other help
- Council Tax: discounts for people with a severe mental impairment such as dementia, for people living alone, and for carers in some cases.
- Disabled Facilities Grant: up to £30,000 in England towards adaptations, means-tested.
- Direct payments: take council funding as money to arrange your own care.
Our guides
- Deferred payment agreements explained
- The £23,250 rule: how the care means test works
- Care home top-up fees: who pays the difference?
- Will I have to sell my house to pay for a care home?
- NHS Continuing Healthcare checker: should you ask for an assessment?
- NHS Continuing Healthcare checker: should you ask for an assessment?
- Attendance Allowance checker 2026/27: who qualifies and how much
- Council Tax Reduction for Dementia: The Severe Mental Impairment Discount
- Financial Assessment for Home Care: What Counts and What You Pay
- NHS Continuing Healthcare at Home: Who Qualifies and How to Apply
- How to pay for home care in England (2026)
- Council funding for home care: the means test explained
Questions
Is Attendance Allowance means-tested?
No. It doesn't depend on savings or income and isn't taxed. It is for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision, and is £76.70 or £114.60 a week in 2026/27.
What are the savings limits for council-funded care in England?
If your savings and assets are above £23,250 you pay the full cost of care. Between £14,250 and £23,250 the council expects £1 a week for every £250. Below £14,250, savings aren't counted, only income.
Can I get Carer's Allowance if I work?
Yes, if you earn no more than £204 a week after certain deductions (2026/27) and care for at least 35 hours a week for someone who gets a qualifying benefit such as Attendance Allowance or the daily living part of PIP.
Free download
Free printable: 40 things to check in a care home
Forty questions on staffing, daily life, rooms, fees and the contract, laid out so you can compare three homes.
Checklists
Visiting a care home · Choosing a home care agency · Live-in care · Dementia care · Easy Read: care costs
Questions people ask
- Can you get a Blue Badge or other help if someone is terminally ill?
- Should I claim benefits before my care financial assessment?
- Does Attendance Allowance affect Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction?
- What other help does Pension Credit unlock?
- Can pensioners still claim Housing Benefit?
- Can I get a Blue Badge if I get Attendance Allowance?
Sources: GOV.UK: benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027 · GOV.UK: paying for your own care · NHS: NHS Continuing Healthcare. Provider counts from the CQC register (Open Government Licence v3.0). This guide is general information, not legal, financial or medical advice.
Register information from CQC as at Oct 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0 applies. We do not deliver care ourselves.