| Care Type | Average Cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Hourly visiting care | £26-38 per hour |
| Live-in care | £1,200-1,500 per week |
| Night care (sleeping) | £210 per night |
| Night care (waking) | £260 per night |
| 24-hour care (two carers) | £2,000+ per week |
| Care home (for comparison) | £800-1,200 per week |
Those are the headline figures for home care costs in the UK in 2026. But the amount you actually pay depends on how many hours of care are needed, where you live, and whether the care is straightforward or complex. This guide breaks down every cost category — and answers the question most families really want answered: is it actually cheaper to stay at home?
This guide covers England only. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have different care funding systems.
Last updated: March 2026.
How Much Does Home Care Cost Per Hour?
Hourly domiciliary care — where a carer visits your home for scheduled appointments — is the most common form of home care in the UK. It is also the most variable in price.
The numbers
The standard hourly rate for home care in England ranges from £26 to £38 per hour in 2026. The UK Homecare Association (UKHCA) recommends a minimum hourly rate of £34.42 to cover carer wages, travel, training, and overheads. Many agencies charge above this, particularly in London and the South East.
What affects the rate
Four factors determine what you will actually pay:
Location. London and the South East command the highest rates (£34-38 per hour). The North of England and the Midlands tend to sit at the lower end (£26-30 per hour). Wales and the South West fall somewhere between.
Time of day. Evening visits (after 8pm) and early morning calls (before 7am) typically carry a premium of £2-5 per hour above the standard daytime rate.
Complexity of care. If your parent needs help with medication management, moving and handling (hoisting), or specialist dementia support, expect to pay towards the higher end of the range or above it.
Provider type. Self-employed carers hired directly can cost £15-22 per hour, but you take on the responsibility of employment, insurance, and cover for sickness or holidays. Agency-provided care costs more but includes management, backup carers, and regulatory oversight.
Weekend and bank holiday premiums
Most agencies charge time and a half (1.5x) on weekends and double time (2x) on bank holidays. On a standard rate of £32 per hour, that means £48 on a Saturday and £64 on a bank holiday. These premiums add up quickly if regular weekend care is needed.
What hourly care actually costs per week
The weekly and monthly cost depends entirely on how many hours of care your parent needs. Here is what the numbers look like across common care packages:
| Hours per week | Weekly cost | Monthly cost (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 (1 hr/day) | £224-266 | £970-1,150 |
| 14 (2 hrs/day) | £448-532 | £1,940-2,300 |
| 21 (3 hrs/day) | £672-798 | £2,910-3,460 |
| 28 (4 hrs/day) | £896-1,064 | £3,880-4,610 |
| 35 (5 hrs/day) | £1,120-1,330 | £4,850-5,760 |
These figures assume standard weekday daytime rates. Add 20-30% if regular weekend or evening care is included.
Live-In Care Costs
Live-in care is when a professional carer moves into your home and provides round-the-clock support. It is a fundamentally different arrangement from hourly visiting care — the carer is present throughout the day and sleeps in your home overnight.
Standard live-in care
A single live-in carer for straightforward personal care costs between £1,200 and £1,500 per week in 2026. That works out to £62,400-£78,000 per year. This covers daytime care and a sleeping presence overnight. The carer needs their own bedroom and is entitled to a two-hour daily break and regular days off (typically one day per week, covered by a relief carer).
Complex and dementia live-in care
If your parent has dementia, challenging behaviour, or complex health needs, expect to pay £1,400-£1,700 per week. The higher cost reflects the specialist skills required and the greater intensity of supervision.
Two-carer packages
When the person being cared for needs physical assistance from two people (for example, hoisting or transfers), or when waking night care is needed alongside daytime support, costs rise to £2,000 or more per week. At this level, the cost significantly exceeds most care homes.
Additional costs
On top of the carer's fees, budget for:
- Food for the carer — you are expected to provide meals, adding £30-50 per week
- Increased household bills — heating, electricity, water usage will rise with an additional person living in the home
- Relief carer cover — for the main carer's days off and holidays
Night Care Costs
Night care is an addition to daytime care — it covers the hours between approximately 10pm and 7am. There are two distinct types, and the cost difference is significant.
Sleeping night care
The carer sleeps in your home but is available if your parent wakes and needs assistance during the night. Suitable for people who occasionally need help with toileting or reassurance but do not have frequent night-time disturbances.
Cost: approximately £210 per night.
Waking night care
The carer remains awake and alert throughout the entire night. This is necessary for people who wander, are at high risk of falls, or have medical needs requiring regular overnight intervention.
Cost: approximately £260 per night.
When night care is needed
Night care becomes necessary when:
- Your parent has dementia and wanders or becomes confused at night
- There is a high risk of falls during trips to the bathroom
- Medical conditions require overnight monitoring or intervention
- The daytime carer cannot safely provide 24-hour cover without sleep
If waking night care is needed every night, the cost alone (£1,820 per week) exceeds most care home fees — before adding any daytime care on top.
Hidden Costs to Watch For
The quoted hourly or weekly rate is rarely the total cost. Several additional charges can add 10-20% to your bill without being immediately obvious.
Travel surcharges
Many agencies add a travel charge of £5-15 per visit to cover the carer's transport costs. On four visits per day, that adds £20-60 per day — or £140-420 per month. Some agencies absorb travel costs into their hourly rate; others list them separately. Always ask.
Cancellation fees
If you cancel a scheduled visit at short notice (typically less than 24-48 hours), most agencies charge the full visit cost. This catches families out when a hospital admission or family visit means care is not needed for a day or two.
Bank holiday premiums
As noted above, bank holiday rates are typically 1.5 to 2 times the standard rate. England has eight bank holidays per year. If your parent receives daily care, that is eight days of premium pricing — adding £200-500 to your annual bill depending on the care package.
Minimum visit lengths
Most agencies set a minimum visit length of one hour, even if the care task only takes 30 minutes. Some have moved to 30-minute minimums, but these shorter visits are increasingly rare for anything beyond a simple medication prompt. You pay for the booked time, not the time the carer spends providing hands-on care.
Worked Example: What Home Care Actually Costs Per Week
A typical package of 2 hours per day, 7 days a week, at £32/hour:
- Base cost: 14 hours x £32 = £448
- Weekend premium (Sat + Sun at 1.5x): extra £32
- Travel surcharges: 14 visits x £8 = £112
- One bank holiday in the month (pro-rated): extra £8
- Actual weekly cost: approximately £600 — 34% above the headline rate
Always ask for a fully itemised quote before committing.
Worked Scenario: Calculating Weekly Home Care Costs
It's easy to look at an hourly rate of £30 and think home care is cheap. But care needs rarely stay at one hour a day. Let's look at how costs escalate for a parent with moderate dementia who needs help with three meals a day and bedtime routine.
The Requirement:
- Morning visit (wash, dress, breakfast): 45 mins
- Lunch visit (prepare hot meal, prompt medication): 30 mins
- Tea visit (prepare light meal): 30 mins
- Bedtime visit (help into nightclothes, secure house): 30 mins
- Total time per day: 2 hours 15 minutes
The Quote (Agency A):
- Standard rate: £32/hour
- Weekend rate: £48/hour
- Travel surcharge: £3 per visit
- Minimum billing block: 45 minutes (meaning the three 30-min visits are billed as 45 mins)
The True Calculation:
- Billed time per day: 4 x 45 mins = 3 hours
- Weekday cost: (3 hrs x £32) + (4 visits x £3) = £108/day x 5 days = £540
- Weekend cost: (3 hrs x £48) + (4 visits x £3) = £156/day x 2 days = £312
- Total True Weekly Cost: £852/week (£3,692/month)
At £852 per week, this family is now paying the equivalent of a full-time residential care home fee in many parts of the country, but their parent is still alone for 21 hours a day.
Is Home Care Cheaper Than a Care Home?
This is the question that matters most to families weighing their options — and the answer depends entirely on how much care is needed. For a detailed comparison beyond just costs, see our guide on home care vs care home.
The comparison
| Scenario | Home Care Cost/Week | Care Home Cost/Week | Cheaper Option |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 visits/day (1 hr each) | £364-532 | £800-1,000 | Home care |
| 3 visits/day (1 hr each) | £546-798 | £800-1,000 | Home care |
| 4 visits/day (1 hr each) | £728-1,064 | £800-1,000 | Similar |
| Live-in care (single carer) | £1,200-1,500 | £800-1,000 | Care home |
| 24-hour care (two carers) | £2,000+ | £1,000-1,500 | Care home |
The crossover point
When home care visits exceed 3-4 per day, a care home often becomes more cost-effective. And the care home provides something that visiting care cannot: 24-hour supervision with no gaps between visits.
A Critical Check (The MSIF Benchmark): If your home care costs are approaching £900-£1,000 per week, you must check what local care homes actually cost. Do not look at private brochure prices. RightCareHome provides Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund (MSIF) data—the exact rates your local council pays care homes. In many areas outside London and the South East, the official MSIF rate for a 24/7 residential care home is lower than £900/week. When home care becomes more expensive than 24/7 residential care, it is usually time to transition.
What the numbers do not capture
Cost is only one factor. Home care keeps your parent in familiar surroundings, maintains their independence, and avoids the upheaval of moving. A care home provides social interaction, structured activities, and round-the-clock staffing that no visiting care schedule can match.
The right choice depends on needs, not just budget. But if you are at or near the crossover point, it is worth comparing specific care homes in your area to see what is available.
If you are considering care homes, our Free Shortlist matches you with homes that meet your parent's specific needs and budget — based on data, not advertising.
How Can I Get Help Paying for Home Care?
The same funding rules that apply to care homes also apply to home care. Council funding thresholds are set under the Care Act 2014. Your council will assess your finances and care needs in the same way.
Council funding thresholds
| Your assets | What the council pays |
|---|---|
| Below £14,250 | Council pays the full cost (you contribute from income only) |
| £14,250-£23,250 | Council pays part; you contribute based on a means test |
| Above £23,250 | You pay the full cost yourself |
The property advantage. This is the single biggest financial difference between home care and a care home. If you receive care at home, your property is not counted in the means test. For care home funding, your property is counted (with some exceptions). This can mean the difference between qualifying for council funding and paying the full cost yourself.
Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is a non-means-tested benefit available to anyone aged 65 or over who needs help with personal care. It pays £76.70 per week (lower rate) or £114.60 per week (higher rate) in 2026. It is not affected by savings, income, or other benefits. You do not need to spend it on care — it can be used however you choose.
If your parent is not already claiming Attendance Allowance, apply immediately. It takes 6-12 weeks to process and is not backdated.
Direct payments
If the council assesses your parent as eligible for funded care, they can offer a direct payment instead of arranging the care themselves. This gives you a budget to hire your own carer or choose your own agency, rather than using whoever the council contracts with. Direct payments give more control over who provides the care, when visits happen, and how the hours are used.
NHS Continuing Healthcare
If your parent has a primary health need — meaning their care needs are mainly due to a health condition rather than social care needs — they may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). This is fully funded by the NHS regardless of savings or assets.
CHC is notoriously difficult to obtain, with significant regional variation in assessment standards. But it is worth pursuing if your parent has complex health needs, particularly neurological conditions, severe dementia, or conditions requiring clinical intervention.
What to Do Next
Home care costs are manageable at low to moderate levels, but they escalate quickly as needs increase. The key decisions are:
- Work out how many hours of care are actually needed. Request a council needs assessment — it is free and gives you a baseline.
- Compare agency quotes. Get at least three quotes from regulated providers in your area. Check that the quoted rate includes travel and that you understand the cancellation policy.
- Claim Attendance Allowance. If your parent is not already receiving it, this is free money that reduces the net cost of care.
- Know your crossover point. If care needs are approaching 3-4 visits per day, start comparing care home costs in your area alongside home care quotes.
- Understand the funding rules. The property exemption for home care is a significant financial advantage — make sure you factor it into your planning.
Not sure which funding routes apply to your situation? Our Funding Calculator provides a personalised breakdown of every option available to you, based on your specific circumstances.
Get Your Custom Funding Action Plan
Further Reading
- What Is Domiciliary Care? A Plain-English Guide
- How to Find a Good Home Care Agency: 7 Checks Before You Commit
- Private Home Care UK: What It Includes, What It Costs, and When You Need It
- 24-Hour Care at Home: What It Really Costs vs a Care Home