A care home provides accommodation with support. Residential homes help with daily living and personal care; nursing homes also have registered nurses on site for medical needs. Choosing one is a big financial and emotional decision — here’s what to expect.
Key facts (UK averages, late 2025)
- Residential care: about £1,298 a week (≈£67,500 a year).
- Nursing care: about £1,535 a week (≈£79,800 a year).
- Homes are inspected by the CQC (England) and equivalents elsewhere.
- The proposed £86,000 lifetime care cap was scrapped in 2024.
Residential vs nursing care
Choose residential if the main need is help with everyday living and personal care. Choose nursing if there’s an ongoing medical need requiring a registered nurse — for example complex medication, wound care or PEG feeding. Many homes also offer specialist dementia care, which costs a little more.
How much do care homes cost?
Fees vary widely by region and by home. Self-funder averages for late 2025 range from about £1,112 a week in the North East to £1,548 in London for residential care. Nursing care is higher across the board.
| Region | Residential / week | Nursing / week |
|---|---|---|
| London | £1,548 | £1,759 |
| South East | £1,446 | £1,706 |
| Scotland | £1,539 | £1,646 |
| East of England | £1,359 | £1,606 |
| South West | £1,339 | £1,595 |
| West Midlands | £1,202 | £1,426 |
| Wales | £1,156 | £1,394 |
| North West | £1,143 | £1,422 |
| North East | £1,112 | £1,264 |
Source: carehome.co.uk self-funder fee data, 2025. See the full breakdown in our UK Care Costs 2026 report.
Paying for a care home
After a needs assessment, councils run a financial assessment. Unlike home care, the value of your home can be counted — unless a partner, or certain other relatives, still live there. In England:
- Capital above £23,250 → you usually pay the full fee (self-funder).
- Capital below £14,250 → you contribute from income only.
- In between → a tariff of £1 a week per £250 of capital applies.
- Care-home residents keep a Personal Expenses Allowance of £31.80 a week (2026/27).
Extra help may include NHS-funded Nursing Care (a weekly NHS contribution toward nursing, around £267 a week from April 2026), fully-funded NHS Continuing Healthcare for complex health needs, and a council Deferred Payment Agreement so fees can be paid from your estate later. Scotland pays flat free personal and nursing care contributions, and Wales has a single £50,000 capital limit. Full detail is in our funding guide.
How to choose a care home
- Read the latest CQC report, not just the headline rating.
- Visit more than once, including unannounced and at mealtimes.
- Ask what the weekly fee includes and what costs extra.
- Check fee-increase policy and what happens if money runs out.
Averages are self-funder figures and vary by home and region; benefit and threshold figures are for 2025/26–2026/27 and change each April. Confirm current details with the home, your council and GOV.UK. General information, not financial or care advice. Last reviewed June 2026.