Home Help in Farnham: Costs, Funding and 73 Local Agencies (Oct 2026)

What home help includes

Typical tasks are cleaning and tidying, laundry and ironing, changing beds, food shopping and collecting prescriptions, preparing meals, help with post and bills, and getting out to appointments or the shops. Many people also value the company. Home help does not include personal care such as washing, dressing or help with medication: for that you need a home care agency registered with the Care Quality Commission.

Agency, cleaner or council?

Many home care agencies in Farnham provide home help as well as personal care, which is useful if needs grow. A cleaner or a local "home help" service can be cheaper for housework alone, but is not regulated by CQC. Some councils and charities run low-cost help-at-home or shopping services. Getting assessed by Surrey council.

Paying for home help

Home help is usually charged by the hour, at or just below the rate for visiting care. Surrey council may include practical help in a care plan if a care needs assessment finds eligible needs, though help with housework alone often does not qualify. Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, is often used to pay for it. See home help for the elderly and home help vs home care.

Agencies covering Farnham: the data

By specialism, 60 of 73 list physical disabilities, 24 of 73 list learning disabilities and 41 of 73 list mental health conditions. The newest registration is Bennett Care Hampshire Ltd, registered with CQC in February 2026. The oldest current rating dates from November 2017 (Beaumont Village). 62 of the 73 agencies (85%) list dementia as a specialism, against 84% across Surrey. Ranked against the 6 closest towns on our site by the share of every listed agency that is rated Good or Outstanding, Farnham comes 6th of 7 (47%), with Whitehill top at 70%. 2 are rated Outstanding here, out of 16 across Surrey. Across Surrey, 22% of agencies have a rating under two years old; covering Farnham it is 18%. Across Surrey we list 1,090 agencies, and 91% of those rated are Good or Outstanding; covering Farnham the figure is 87%.

Home help prices in Farnham

Usual 2026 prices across England
Visiting care	around £32–£34 an hour
Live-in care	around £1,540–£1,610 a week

What the council pays (Surrey County Council): £24.87 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £952.38 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £988.04 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Ask every agency for a full list of charges, with weekend and bank holiday rates: hourly rates vary more between agencies than between regions. According to the Homecare Association, councils across England should pay no less than £34.42 an hour for home care in 2026/27 if it is to be sustainable. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?

Home help in Farnham: common questions

Who provides home help in Farnham?

Ask each agency: CQC keeps no record of who provides home help. Of the 73 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Farnham, 34 are rated Good or Outstanding.

How much is a home help per hour in Farnham?

Home help is usually charged by the hour, at or a little below the local rate for visiting care. Ask each agency for its hourly rate, minimum visit length and any weekend charges in writing.

Can I get home help from the council?

Sometimes, if Surrey council's care needs assessment finds eligible needs and practical help is part of meeting them. Help with housework alone often does not qualify, so many people use Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, to pay privately.

Is home help the same as home care?

No. Home help is practical help with housework, shopping and errands. Home care, or personal care, includes help with washing, dressing, eating and medication, and must be provided by an agency registered with the Care Quality Commission.

How good are home care agencies around Farnham?

87% Good or Outstanding (34 of 39 rated). 14 were inspected or rated within two years, and 62 are registered for dementia.

Home help in Farnham: ask who can help

Describe what's needed in one form, and featured partners and as many as three rated agencies that accept enquiries via The Care Panel email you back.

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Source for provider details: CQC, Oct 2026 (Open Government Licence v3.0). The Care Panel is a comparison site, not a care company.

Home help in Farnham