Paying for residential and nursing home care

What are the charges?

You must be eligible to go into a residential or nursing home and we must carry out an assessment to make sure we agree that it will meet your needs.

If you do have to go into a home, the cost will be one of the things that concerns you most. There are a number of residential and nursing homes and they all charge different amounts, depending on the facilities they provide and the amount of care that you need.

Please contact the homes directly to find out how much they charge. We will tell you whether we can make a contribution towards the cost of staying in a residential or nursing home and how we work it out. We maintain a list of residential and nursing homes (June 2013)(pdf, 295KB).

Please do remember that this information will only act as a guide and that in some circumstances different rules will apply. However, we'll do our best to give you the financial facts and explain the charges.

Will I have to pay?

Everyone has to pay something towards their stay. How much that is will depend on your personal circumstances and we'll ask you to complete a Financial Assessment Form(pdf, 875KB) so we can look at your finances, to help work out how much you'll have to pay. We can help you to complete the form in your own home if necessary.

What if I'm only going in for a short stay?

If the stay is to help you and not respite for your carer, we work out how much you have to pay in the same way as for longer stays. However, we take into account of some of your household expenses. If you have savings of over £23,250, or you do not want to give us details of your finances, you will have to pay the full cost of your stay.

If the stay is to give your carer a break, the cost of the stay would be covered by the Personal Budget that you receive through Self Directed Support and your contribution towards that budget.

Will I pay for nursing care?

The NHS will pay towards the cost of your nursing care if you are in a registered nursing home at one of the following rates:

  • Standard rate of £108.70 each week.
  • High band of £149.60 each week.

You will still have to pay a contribution for other accommodation charges and this will be worked out in the normal way. In most cases, if you receive free nursing care, it will not affect how much you pay towards your care.

Can I get help with the cost?

We have to take into account any pensions or wages you receive, Pension Credit, Income Support and any extra social security benefits you may be entitled to claim for your stay in the home. After the first 28 days, you should stop receiving any Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance. Please make sure this is the case to avoid any overpayments from the Department for Work and Pensions.

We also have to take into account any savings you may have. If your savings are over £23,250 you will have to pay the full cost of your stay in the home. Any savings between £14,250 and £23,250 will also be taken into account when we work out how much you will have to pay.

To estimate how much you may have to pay use our .

We'll help you to fill out a financial assessment form to see if you qualify for financial help. To get a rough idea of costs and how much you'll pay, you can carry out a quick, confidential financial assessment online.

  • I need a Short Stay in a residential or nursing home.
  • I need a Long Stay in a residential or nursing home.

Will I have to sell my house?

We will not count the value of your home for the first 12 weeks. After the 12 weeks, we will not count the value of your home if any of the following applies:

  • Your husband, wife or partner continues to live there
  • A relative aged 60 or over continues to live there
  • A relative under 60 who receives certain disability allowances continues to live there
  • A child under 16 you are financially responsible for continues to live there
  • We may agree to disregard the value of your home if someone is living there who has been your main carer.

However, if there are no special circumstances we do have to take into account the value of your house when deciding how much you should pay for your residential or nursing home care.You can ask us to loan you the money to pay part of the fees while you are trying to sell or rent out your property.

For more information, visit our Paying for Residential and Nursing Home Care if you own a Property page.

Useful contacts

First Contact - Richmond Age Concern

A telephone advice line is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. The line is manned by an advisor, who can answer queries, provide information and advice, and signpost to other agencies.

Phone: 0845 600 1090
Email: firstcontact@acrut.org.uk

Finance, Adult and Community Services

Address: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Civic Centre, 44 York Street, Twickenham, TW1 3BZ
Phone: 020 8831 6400
Email: charginghelpline@richmond.gov.uk