Home Help in Horley: Costs, Funding and 96 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 Horley 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. How to ask Surrey council for an assessment.

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.

Home care in Horley by the numbers

Looking at specialisms, 84 of 96 list physical disabilities, 44 of 96 list learning disabilities and 59 of 96 list mental health conditions. CQC registered Ideal Complex Care in October 2026, the newest on this list. One rating goes back to March 2018: Home Instead Senior Care Reigate & Tandridge. Ask what has changed since. In Horley, 77% of agencies support people with dementia (74 of 96); the Surrey figure is 84%. Reigate has the highest share of listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding nearby (69%); Horley, at 59%, is 5th of the 7 towns compared. Surrey has 16 Outstanding agencies in total; covering Horley the figure is 4. Ratings are more recent than average here: 28% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 22% across Surrey. At 90% Good or Outstanding, Horley sits in line with the Surrey figure of 91% (from 1,090 agencies).

How much home help costs in Horley

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

Surrey County Council's own rates: £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).

Agencies differ more than regions do on hourly rates, so request a complete tariff from each one, covering weekends and bank holidays too. 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. Check what you would pay · Weekly cost calculator

Home care agencies that cover Horley

Ranked on CQC rating, its date and then distance. Ask each one about home help.

The full list: 96 agencies covering Horley →

Your questions on home help in Horley

Which home care agencies offer home help in Horley?

Ask each agency: CQC keeps no record of who provides home help. Of the 96 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Horley, 57 are rated Good or Outstanding.

How much is a home help per hour in Horley?

Expect an hourly charge close to the local visiting care rate, sometimes slightly less for housework only. Check the minimum visit length and weekend rates before you book.

Can I get home help from the council?

Only as part of meeting eligible needs after an assessment by Surrey council; housework on its own rarely qualifies. Attendance Allowance, which ignores savings, is often used to pay for home help.

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 are agencies covering Horley rated?

Of 63 agencies with a CQC rating, 57 (90%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 74, and 28 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.

Home help in Horley

What home help includes

Agency, cleaner or council?

Paying for home help

Home care in Horley by the numbers

How much home help costs in Horley

Home care agencies that cover Horley

Your questions on home help in Horley

Need home help in Horley?

More about care in Horley

Nearby towns for home help

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