England's local authority financial assessment for care home fees, using the 2026/27 capital limits. Enter your (or your relative's) assessable capital to see how the means test applies.
Your likely position
| Capital | What happens |
|---|---|
| Above £23,250 (upper limit) | Self-funder — you pay the full cost |
| £14,250 – £23,250 | You pay from income, plus a tariff contribution of £1/week per £250 of capital in this band |
| Below £14,250 (lower limit) | Capital is ignored — you pay only what you can afford from income |
The upper capital limit is £23,250 and the lower capital limit is £14,250. Above the upper limit you're a self-funder; below the lower limit your capital is disregarded entirely.
Usually yes if you move into permanent residential care and no qualifying person (such as a spouse, partner, or certain relatives) continues to live there. If someone who qualifies still lives in the property, it's typically disregarded.
Local authorities can treat assets given away or spent specifically to avoid care fees as still belonging to you (notional capital), and can pursue the recipient for the cost. Speak to a qualified adviser about legitimate care-cost planning instead.
Recently bereaved and need to check your Bereavement Support Payment position? See our Bereavement Payment Tracker.