Live-In Care Cost Calculator

How much does live-in care cost compared to a care home?

Live-in care means a professional carer moves into your home, usually on a rotating or live-in-and-live-out basis, to provide support with daily living, medication, mobility and companionship around the clock. For many families the appeal is obvious: staying in a familiar home, keeping a much-loved pet, and - for couples - not being separated by two different care settings. The trade-off is that it is rarely dramatically cheaper than a care home for a single person; the real financial and emotional advantage tends to show up for couples and for people who own outright a home they do not want to sell. This calculator gives you a working estimate of live-in care cost by need level, a comparison against typical residential care home fees, an indicative local authority means-test position, and a weekly funding gap if you enter your existing income.

How the calculator works

Costs are shown as ranges because live-in care pricing genuinely varies by agency, region and the complexity of need - there is no single "correct" national rate:

• Standard care and companionship: typically £1,100 to £1,400 a week, covering personal care, meals, medication prompts, light housework and company.
• Complex needs or dementia care: typically £1,400 to £1,800 a week, reflecting specialist training, higher supervision needs and, in some cases, two carers working in rotation.
• Couples: where both partners need support, one live-in carer can often manage both, so agencies commonly add a supplement of roughly 20 to 30% rather than doubling the fee entirely - shown automatically when you select "Couple" above.

These figures include the carer's fee but exclude food and household running costs, which the family typically continues to pay as normal, plus a private room for the carer.

Worked example

Consider a couple in their 80s, both needing standard support, with £30,000 in savings and no other capital. Because both share one live-in carer, the calculator applies the couple supplement to give an estimated range of roughly £1,320 to £1,820 a week - noticeably less than the £1,400 to £2,500 a week that two separate residential care home placements would typically cost between them. With £30,000 in assessable capital, they sit above the £23,250 upper threshold in England, so they would currently be assessed as self-funders, though that position would need to be confirmed by their local authority's own financial assessment. If they later enter a weekly income figure - say a combined £350 from pensions and Attendance Allowance - the calculator shows the remaining weekly funding gap they would need to cover from savings or other means.

Funding live-in care: means test, NHS CHC and other routes

There are three main funding routes worth understanding before you commit to a care plan:

• Local authority (means-tested) funding. In England, if your assessable capital is above £23,250 you are treated as a self-funder. Between £14,250 and £23,250, a tariff income is assumed on the capital in that band, added to your other assessed income. Below £14,250, capital is disregarded and only income is assessed. A full financial assessment by your local authority is the only way to get an exact figure - this calculator gives an indicative starting point only.
• NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). If your primary need is health-related rather than social care, you may qualify for CHC, which is not means-tested and can fund live-in care in full where it is the appropriate setting. Ask your GP, hospital discharge team or local Integrated Care Board for a CHC checklist assessment.
• Self-funding. If you are above the capital threshold, you pay the full cost, though a Deferred Payment Agreement may be available in some circumstances to avoid selling a property immediately, and Attendance Allowance (non-means-tested) can help offset the weekly cost regardless of savings.

The couples advantage

This is where live-in care most often beats a care home financially and emotionally. Two care home placements almost always mean two full sets of fees, plus the disruption of a long marriage or partnership being split across different rooms, floors or even different buildings if a suitable joint placement is not available. With live-in care, one carer commonly supports both partners in their own home, meaning the cost rises by a supplement rather than doubling outright - and neither partner has to leave the home they may have shared for decades. For couples where one partner needs more support than the other, live-in care also flexes more easily around uneven needs than a standard care home placement, which is typically priced and structured around a single resident.

Frequently asked questions

How much does live-in care cost in the UK?

Live-in care typically costs £1,100 to £1,400 a week for standard support, rising to roughly £1,400 to £1,800 a week for complex needs or dementia care, plus the carer's food and a private room. These are estimate ranges - actual cost depends on agency, region and the hours of care needed.

Is live-in care cheaper than a care home?

For a single person the weekly cost is broadly similar to a care home, sometimes a little higher for complex needs. The real savings usually appear for couples - one live-in carer can often support two people in their own home for a modest supplement rather than two separate care home placements, and you avoid selling the family home to fund fees while a partner still lives there.

Will the council help pay for live-in care?

Possibly, after a local authority financial assessment. In England, if your assessable capital is above £23,250 you are a self-funder. Below that, a means-tested contribution applies on a sliding scale, and below £14,250 your capital is not counted at all, though income is still assessed. This calculator gives an indicative capital-based estimate, not a full financial assessment.

Can I get NHS funding for live-in care?

If your primary need is health-related rather than personal care, you may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC), which is not means-tested and can cover live-in care in full where it is assessed as the appropriate care setting. Ask your local Integrated Care Board for a CHC checklist assessment.

Does live-in care work out cheaper for couples?

Often, yes. Because one live-in carer can typically support two people in the same household, agencies commonly charge a supplement for a second person rather than doubling the fee. Two care home placements, by contrast, usually mean two full sets of fees - so live-in care can be the more cost-effective and less disruptive option for couples who both need support.

Source: Local authority capital limits (£14,250 and £23,250) from GOV.UK – Paying for a care home. NHS Continuing Healthcare eligibility from NHS – NHS Continuing Healthcare. Weekly cost ranges are estimates based on typical UK live-in care and residential care market rates, not a guaranteed quote.