Private Home Care UK: What It Costs and Includes

Private home care means arranging and paying for care yourself rather than through your local council. You choose the agency, the carer, and the schedule — giving you more control but at full cost. Hourly rates are £26-38 per hour (2026), and you can still claim Attendance Allowance (up to £114.60 per week) to offset costs.

If you are considering home care for a parent or relative, one of the first decisions is whether to go through the council or arrange care privately. This guide explains exactly what "private" means in practice, what it costs, and whether the extra control is worth the price.

This guide covers England only. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have different care funding systems.

Last updated: March 2026.

What Does Private Home Care Actually Mean?

The term "private home care" causes confusion because it sounds like a premium product. In reality, it simply describes who arranges and pays for the care. There are three routes to home care in the UK, and understanding the differences matters.

Self-funded (private) care

You contact a CQC-registered home care agency directly, agree a care plan, and pay the full cost yourself. The council is not involved. You have complete freedom over which provider you use, which carer attends, and when visits happen.

This is what most people mean by "private home care." It is not a different type of care — it is the same domiciliary care delivered by the same agencies, but arranged and funded by you.

Council-arranged care

You request a needs assessment from your local council under the Care Act 2014. If eligible, the council selects a provider from its approved list and arranges the care on your behalf. You pay a means-tested contribution based on your income and assets — which could be nothing, a partial amount, or the full cost if your savings exceed £23,250.

The trade-off: lower cost (potentially), but less choice over who provides the care and when.

Direct payments

A third option that sits between the two. The council assesses your needs and gives you a budget to arrange your own care. You choose the agency or hire a carer directly, but the money comes from the council rather than your own pocket.

Direct payments give you similar control to private care without the full cost. However, the budget is fixed and may not cover the provider you want.

Why Families Choose Private Home Care

Most families who go private do so for one or more of these reasons.

No waiting. Council needs assessments can take weeks. If care is needed urgently — after a hospital discharge, a fall, or a sudden decline — arranging private care can start within days.

Wider choice of providers. Councils contract with a limited panel of agencies. Going private opens up every registered provider in your area, including specialist agencies for dementia, Parkinson's, or end-of-life care.

More control over carers and schedules. Private agencies are more likely to offer named carers, consistent scheduling, and flexibility around visit times. Council-commissioned care often means whoever is available on the rota.

Higher-spec services. Some private agencies offer extras that council-commissioned providers do not: app-based visit updates, specialist training for specific conditions, longer minimum visit times (one hour rather than 15 minutes), and guaranteed carer continuity.

Privacy. Some families prefer not to go through a council assessment process, particularly when the person needing care is reluctant to accept help. Arranging privately avoids the formal process entirely.

How Much Does Private Home Care Cost?

The hourly rates for private home care are broadly the same as the rates councils pay — the difference is who foots the bill.

Hourly visiting care

Private home care costs between £26 and £38 per hour in 2026. Rates vary by region (London and the South East are at the top end) and by complexity of care.

Council-commissioned rates tend to sit at the lower end of this range — around £20-25 per hour — because councils negotiate bulk contracts. The trade-off is that agencies working at council rates often have tighter schedules, shorter visits, and less continuity.

Live-in care

If your parent needs round-the-clock support, live-in care costs £1,200-1,500 per week for a single carer. Complex needs or dementia care pushes this to £1,400-1,700. Where two carers are needed, expect £2,000 or more per week.

What you get for the premium

When you pay privately at the higher end of the range, you are typically paying for:

• Named carers — the same person attends each visit
• Guaranteed consistency — no last-minute carer swaps
• Longer visits — one-hour minimums rather than 15 or 30 minutes
• Digital updates — real-time visit logs and notes via an app
• Specialist training — carers with specific dementia, stroke, or palliative care qualifications

Not every private agency offers all of these. Ask specifically what is included before signing a contract.

Worked Scenario: The True Cost of Control

Let's look at the financial difference between waiting for council-arranged care and going private for a parent with moderate needs.

The Situation: Margaret needs 2 visits a day (morning wash/dress, evening meal/bed prep). She has £40,000 in savings, meaning she is a self-funder.

Option A: Council-Arranged (Self-Funding) Margaret waits 6 weeks for a council needs assessment. Because she has over £23,250, the council tells her she must pay the full cost. They arrange care through their block-contracted agency at £22/hour.

• The visits are strictly 30 minutes each.
• She gets whoever is on the rota (often 6 different carers a week).
• Cost: 14 hours/week x £22 = £308/week.

Option B: Private Home Care Margaret's daughter bypasses the council and hires a premium local agency at £35/hour.

• The visits are guaranteed to be 45 minutes each.
• She gets a dedicated team of just 2 regular carers.
• Cost: 10.5 hours/week x £35 = £367.50/week.

The Verdict: Going private costs Margaret an extra £60 a week. For that premium, she avoided a 6-week wait, gets longer visits, and avoids the distress of strangers turning up to wash her. For families with sufficient savings, this level of control is often worth the extra cost.

A Critical Check (The MSIF Benchmark): As private home care needs increase, capital drains fast. If Margaret's needs escalate to 4 visits a day plus night support, her private care bill could easily hit £1,200/week. Before agreeing to a high-volume private home care package, you must check what a residential care home actually costs in your area. RightCareHome publishes the Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund (MSIF) data—the exact rates local councils pay care homes. In many areas, 24/7 residential care costs less than £900/week. Knowing this local benchmark helps you plan exactly when staying at home privately stops making financial sense.

Weekly cost examples

What Does Private Home Care Include?

Standard private home care covers the same tasks as council-arranged domiciliary care:

Personal care — help with washing, dressing, toileting, and grooming. This is the core of most care packages and what triggers a formal care need.

Medication support — prompting or administering medication at the right times. Carers cannot prescribe or change medication, but they can ensure it is taken correctly.

Meal preparation — cooking meals, preparing snacks, and ensuring adequate nutrition and hydration throughout the day.

Household tasks — light cleaning, laundry, shopping, and keeping the home safe and tidy. Most agencies limit this to tasks directly related to the person's care.

Companionship — conversation, activities, accompanying on outings, and reducing isolation. Often undervalued but critically important for mental health.

What typically costs extra

Some services sit outside a standard care package and carry additional charges:

• Night care — sleeping night cover (£210/night) or waking night care (£260/night)
• Specialist dementia care — carers with advanced dementia training, usually at the higher end of hourly rates
• Nursing tasks — anything involving clinical skills (wound care, catheter management, injections) requires a registered nurse, not a care worker
• Weekend and bank holiday visits — most agencies charge 1.5x on weekends and 2x on bank holidays

Can You Get Help Paying for Private Care?

Going private does not mean you are entirely on your own financially. Several sources of help exist, and some are available regardless of your savings.

Attendance Allowance

This is the single most important benefit for people paying for private care. Attendance Allowance pays £76.70 or £114.60 per week (2026 rates) depending on whether care is needed during the day, at night, or both.

Crucially, Attendance Allowance is not means-tested. It does not matter if your parent has £500,000 in savings — if they need help with personal care, they can claim. At the higher rate, it covers roughly three hours of private care per week, which can make the difference between affording a proper care package and falling short.

When the council takes over

If your parent is self-funding and their savings eventually fall below £23,250, they become eligible for council support. Below £14,250, the council covers the full cost. Between £14,250 and £23,250, they pay a partial contribution.

This is important for long-term planning. Private care is not necessarily a permanent commitment — if assets reduce over time, the council steps in. See our funding eligibility guide for the full breakdown.

NHS Continuing Healthcare

If your parent has a "primary health need" — meaning their care requirements 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 difficult to obtain and many initial applications are rejected. But it is worth pursuing, particularly for people with complex conditions like advanced dementia, stroke, or neurological disease.

Property is not counted

One crucial advantage of receiving care at home rather than in a care home: your property is never included in the financial means test while you are still living in it. For families whose main asset is the family home, this is a significant financial protection. It is one of the key factors in the home care versus care home decision.

Private Home Care vs Care Home

Many families weighing up private home care are also considering whether a care home might be more practical or affordable. The financial rules are largely the same — the same £23,250 threshold applies, and the same benefits are available.

The key differences:

For low to moderate care needs, private home care is usually cheaper and allows your parent to stay in familiar surroundings. For high or complex needs — particularly advanced dementia requiring constant supervision — a care home often becomes more practical and cost-effective.

The property advantage is significant. If your parent owns their home and receives care there, the property is excluded from the means test entirely. Move into a care home, and the property value is usually counted after 12 weeks — unless a spouse, dependent, or qualifying relative still lives there.

For a detailed comparison of costs, funding, and suitability at every care level, see our full guide to home care versus care home costs.

Making the Decision

Private home care is not a luxury product — it is simply care that you arrange and pay for yourself. The care itself is the same. What you gain is speed, choice, and control. What you lose is the financial cushion of council subsidies.

For most families, the practical decision comes down to three questions:

1. Can you afford it? Use the weekly cost table above and factor in Attendance Allowance. If the numbers work for at least two to three years, private care is viable.

2. Do you need it now? If care is urgent, going private avoids the weeks-long council assessment process. You can always request a council assessment later and transition to council-funded care if eligible.

3. Does the extra control matter? If carer consistency, specific scheduling, or specialist expertise is important — particularly for dementia or complex conditions — private care delivers what council-commissioned services often cannot.

Whatever route you choose, the funding thresholds and benefit entitlements remain the same. Understanding them before you commit ensures you are not paying more than you need to.

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

Private vs Council-Arranged Home Care: Quick Comparison

Sources

• CQC — Care Quality Commission — provider registration and inspection ratings
• Care Act 2014 — local authority duties and needs assessment rights
• GOV.UK — Care and support statutory guidance — funding thresholds and means test rules

Further Reading

• How to Find a Good Home Care Agency: 7 Checks Before You Commit
• Home Care for the Elderly: A Family's Complete Guide
• Home Care Costs UK 2026: Hourly, Daily and Live-In Rates