Home help vs home care: what’s the difference?

The difference between home help and home care is what the carer helps with. Home help is domestic support for the house, such as cleaning, shopping and cooking. Home care (also called domiciliary care) includes personal care for the person, such as washing, dressing, using the toilet and medicines support, and must be provided by a CQC-registered organisation.

At a glance

• Home help = domestic care: housework, laundry, shopping, meals, errands.
• Home care = personal care, often with domestic tasks included, delivered by a CQC-registered provider.
• Purely domestic help is not regulated by CQC. Personal care, including prompting and supervising, is.
• As of 2026, agencies in England typically charge about £32–£34 an hour for either type of visit. Prices vary by region; get a written quote.
• Council support under the Care Act 2014 can cover both, if needs meet the eligibility test.

What is the difference between domestic care and personal care?

Domestic care (home help) supports the running of the home. Personal care supports the person’s body and daily routine. Many visits mix the two, for example helping someone shower and then making breakfast.

Where exactly is the legal line?

CQC defines personal care as physical help with eating, drinking, toileting, washing, bathing, dressing, oral care and skin care. It also includes prompting and supervising those tasks (CQC). So a carer who reminds your mother to take a shower, or watches her while she eats, is providing personal care, even without touching her.

Cleaning, shopping and companionship on their own are not regulated. That’s why cleaning companies and befriending schemes don’t need to register with CQC. Our guide to what personal care includes goes into more detail.

Which one does my parent need?

Start with what your parent finds hard. Ask these questions:

• Can they wash, dress and use the toilet safely on their own?
• Do they remember to take medicines at the right time?
• Are they eating properly, or just finding cooking tiring?
• Is the house getting dirty because of tiredness, pain or poor eyesight?

If the problems are only with the house and shopping, home help for the elderly may be enough. If there are any difficulties with personal hygiene, continence, eating or medicines, you need home care from a registered provider.

Needs change, so plan ahead

Many families start with a weekly cleaning and shopping visit. Over months, the carer may notice that bedding is soiled or that tablets are untouched. A CQC-registered agency can then add personal care without you having to find a new provider. A cleaning company or unregulated service cannot.

How do the costs compare?

As of 2026, most home care agencies in England charge about £32–£34 an hour for weekday visits. The Lottie Care Index for Q3 2026 puts the median at £33.49, and many agencies charge £26–£38, depending on region. Agencies usually charge the same hourly rate whether the carer is cleaning or helping someone wash, because the staff, training, insurance and supervision are the same.

The Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price for regulated homecare in England at £34.42 an hour for 2026/27, based on the National Living Wage. That reflects the costs of employment, travel time, training and regulation.

Extra charges apply to both types of care:

• weekends: typically 10–25% more;
• bank holidays: often time-and-a-half, with Christmas Day often double;
• short visits: 30-minute calls often cost 20–30% more per hour.

Sources vary, and prices depend on needs, provider and postcode. Try our home care cost calculator, or see how much home care costs in London.

Is home help or home care subject to VAT?

Care and domestic help from a CQC-registered provider is usually exempt from VAT. HMRC’s welfare exemption covers care for elderly, sick or disabled people, and routine domestic tasks where an assessment shows the person cannot safely do them (HMRC VAT Notice 701/2).

A VAT-registered cleaning company is not a welfare provider, so it may charge VAT. Introductory agency fees are standard-rated. Read is home care VAT exempt? for the detail.

Will the council pay for home help or home care?

The Care Act 2014 doesn’t separate “domestic” from “personal” care. It looks at outcomes. You’re eligible if, because of an illness or impairment, you can’t achieve two or more listed outcomes and this significantly affects your wellbeing. The outcomes include maintaining a habitable home and managing nutrition, as well as personal hygiene, toilet needs and being appropriately clothed.

So a council can fund domestic help if it meets eligible needs, but in practice most council packages focus on personal care. After a financial assessment, you may pay some or all of the cost. In England, people with capital above £23,250 usually pay in full (DHSC, 2026/27). See the home care means test.

Contact the adult social care team at your parent’s local council to ask for a needs assessment.

What should I check before choosing a provider?

Whichever you choose, our main guide to home help and domestic support explains how to arrange it. Before you sign up, check:

• CQC registration and rating if any personal care is involved.
• Minimum visit length and whether short visits cost more per hour.
• Continuity: will the same carer come each time?
• What’s included: does a “home help” visit include meal preparation or only cleaning?
• Flexibility: can the provider add personal care or extra visits quickly if needs change?

Frequently asked questions

Is home help the same as home care?

No. Home help is domestic support such as cleaning, laundry, shopping and cooking. Home care usually means personal care, such as help with washing, dressing, toileting and medicines, and is often combined with domestic tasks. Personal care must be provided by a CQC-registered organisation, whereas purely domestic help is not regulated.

Is prompting someone to wash personal care?

Yes. CQC’s definition of personal care includes prompting and supervising someone with washing, dressing, eating, toileting and similar tasks, not only physical help. So a carer who reminds your parent to shower, or supervises them while they eat, is delivering personal care, and the provider must be CQC-registered.

Is home help cheaper than home care?

Not usually through an agency. As of 2026, agencies in England generally charge the same hourly rate, around £32–£34, for domestic and personal care visits. A cleaning company may be cheaper per hour, but its staff aren’t trained or supervised as care workers and can’t provide personal care if needs change.

Can a carer do cleaning as well as personal care?

Yes. Most home care visits can include light domestic tasks such as tidying, laundry, washing up and preparing meals, as long as they are in the care plan and there is time in the visit. Heavy cleaning, gardening and DIY are usually outside a care worker’s role.

Does the council pay for cleaning?

Sometimes. Under the Care Act 2014, being unable to maintain a habitable home is one of the eligibility outcomes. If your overall needs meet the test, the council must arrange support, which can include domestic help. You may have to contribute after a financial assessment.

Sources

• CQC: regulated activities, personal care
• Care Act eligibility outcomes (SCIE)
• HMRC VAT Notice 701/2: welfare services and goods (GOV.UK)
• DHSC social care charging circular 2026 to 2027 (GOV.UK)
• NICE NG67: managing medicines for adults receiving social care in the community
• Homecare Association research and reports
• Lottie: London home care directory

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

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 15 October 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.