What is NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and who qualifies?

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is fully funded NHS care for people whose primary need is a health need — not a social care need. If someone qualifies, the NHS pays their care home fees in full with no means test on savings or property. The value is £50,000–£80,000+ per year. Eligibility is assessed using the NHS Decision Support Tool across 12 care domains. Around 10–15% of care home residents may qualify. Many families are never told about CHC at the point of hospital discharge — you can request an initial checklist screening yourself.

What is the means test threshold for care home fees in 2025–26?

In England, the upper capital threshold for the local authority means test is £23,250 for 2025–26. Above this level you fund care yourself (self-funding). Between £14,250 and £23,250, the council applies a tariff income of £1/week for every £250 of capital above the lower limit. Below £14,250, the council funds the full council rate. Your family home is usually disregarded from the means test for the first 12 weeks of a permanent care placement.

What happens when savings run out for care home fees?

When capital assets fall below £23,250, the local authority (council) must start contributing toward care fees at its own assessed rate. However, council rates are usually lower than what the care home actually charges — so families often face a weekly top-up gap even after council funding begins. If no top-up is affordable, the council must offer a placement within its rate. Understanding this gap in advance is critical: our calculator shows your specific top-up amount based on your council's 2025–26 rate.

What is a care home top-up fee, and will I have to pay one?

A care home top-up fee — sometimes called a third-party top-up — is the difference between what the local authority pays for a care home place and what the home actually charges. For example, if the council rate is £800 per week and the home costs £1,000 per week, a family member covers the £200 weekly gap. Top-up fees are only lawful if the council first offered at least one suitable placement within its own rate — if no such alternative was offered, the council must cover the full cost. Our free Top-Up Gap Checker shows the typical gap in your postcode area based on council MSIF data, so you can plan before signing any agreement.

Can NHS CHC funding be claimed retrospectively?

Yes. If someone was incorrectly means-tested and made to pay for care when they were eligible for NHS CHC, a retrospective review can be requested going back up to 10 years. This can result in a substantial refund — sometimes tens of thousands of pounds. Integrated Care Boards are required to consider retrospective claims under NHS guidance.

What is a Deferred Payment Agreement (DPA)?

A Deferred Payment Agreement allows the local authority to pay care home costs while a legal charge is placed on the family home. The fees — plus interest — are repaid when the property is sold, usually after the person has died. A DPA prevents families from being forced to sell the family home immediately to fund care. The council must offer a DPA if you meet the eligibility criteria.

How do I request an NHS CHC assessment?

You can request an NHS CHC initial checklist screening from your local Integrated Care Board (ICB), hospital discharge team, or GP. No referral is needed — any family member or the person themselves can request it. Under NHS guidance, a checklist screening should be offered to anyone moving from hospital into a care home. Many families are never told this.

What if the CHC assessment finds the person ineligible?

A negative CHC decision is not the end. Other funding options still apply: local authority means-tested funding (if capital is below £23,250), Funded Nursing Care payments for nursing homes (currently £235.88/week), Attendance Allowance, and Deferred Payment Agreements for property protection. A negative CHC decision can also be formally appealed through the ICB — around 25–30% of appeals result in eligibility being granted.

Family reviewing care funding options together at home

Applies NHS Decision Support Tool criteria

Free NHS CHC and care funding check

Could the NHS pay your care home fees in full?

Check NHS Continuing Healthcare, council funding, and how long your savings may last — in one personalised funding check. Free to start. No login required.

Start free funding check

Takes about 10 minutes. Full report available for £69.

Updated for 2026/27 rules and NHS rates.

About 10 minutes

England-wide council coverage

30-day money-back guarantee

Independent — funded by families

No login requiredStart with rough figures and simple answers only.

No bank logins neededWe do not ask for account access or exact balances.

Independent by designWe do not sell your details to care homes.

England-wide council coverageBuilt around current England care funding rules and local authority benchmarks.

2026/27 funding rules now loaded. Charging thresholds and NHS rates are updated for the new financial year. Local authority fee benchmarks use the latest published MSIF data (2025/26).

Free quick check

How long will the savings actually last?

Most families spend weeks researching homes, then discover the financial reality too late. Enter a postcode and see your personal funding timeline in under a minute.

How many months of self-funding remain at current savings
The weekly shortfall once council funding starts
Whether NHS CHC could eliminate these costs entirely

Not sure what care costs in your area? Check our care costs 2026 by region first, then return here to run the means test calculator and check CHC eligibility for your council area.

Uses 2026/27 England funding rules and the latest published MSIF council benchmarks (2025/26) · Not financial advice

Funding Guide

“Many families pay full care home fees without realising they may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare. The Funding Guide identifies potential eligibility and explains how to apply — including what evidence to prepare.”

— Based on report methodology

What families say

How families have used the check

The screening made us realise we should have asked for a CHC assessment much earlier. We would not have known where to start otherwise.

Patricia W., Oxfordshire

Seeing the likely council shortfall in advance helped us plan before savings ran down. That changed the conversation for the whole family.

Robert H., Hampshire

It was the first time we could explain the funding position clearly to everyone involved. It felt specific to our council, not like another generic article.

Linda C., Hertfordshire

Choose your level of support

Start free, then upgrade only if you need the full picture

Most families begin with the free check, then choose a paid report if they want exact figures, projections, or help taking action.

Free Check

£0no card required

A quick first step. See whether NHS funding or council support may apply before you spend more time or money.

CHC screening indication
Council funding likelihood
Potential savings estimate
7-day access
—Detailed analysis & projections
—Personalised action plan
—Ready-to-send letters
—Evidence preparation toolkit

Start Free Check

Funding Guide

£69one-time payment

The full picture for most families. Clear eligibility analysis, means test estimates, and a practical next-step plan.

Everything in Free, plus:
Full CHC analysis with domain breakdown
Means test estimate using current rules
5-year financial projections
Independent analysis in plain English
PDF export to share with family
90-day access
—Ready-to-send letters

Get Funding Guide — £69

Free Check shows where you stand. Funding Guide explains your likely position in detail. If you then want help taking action, Care Funding Action Pack becomes available as the next step.

Next step after your full report

Care Funding Action Pack is for families who want help taking action

It is not the main choice on this page. Most families start with the Funding Guide, then upgrade only if they want editable templates, checklists, and a structured follow-through plan.

When £69 is enough

You mainly want to understand the rules applied to your situation.
You need likely figures, funding routes, and clearer projections first.
You are not yet ready to draft letters or manage follow-through paperwork.

When £199 becomes worth it

You want editable templates instead of writing to the NHS or council from scratch.
You want a clearer sequence for what to do over the next few weeks.
You are ready to move from understanding the position to taking action.

6–8 editable letter templates — review and personalise before sending

Evidence checklist — which records to gather first

8-week action plan — step-by-step with deadlines

What changes when you move from £69 to £199?

This is the practical difference: the Guide explains the position, the Action Pack adds the paperwork and follow-through.

Funding Guide £69	Care Funding Action Pack £199
Understand your means test result	Letter to the council: formal statement of your position
Know if CHC might apply to your parent	CHC evidence checklist: what to record and how to present it
Understand DPA and 12-week disregard	8-week action plan: what to do each week, in order
Know your options	Appeal templates: if the council or NHS says no
You understand your situation	You have documents ready to send

Most families should start with Funding Guide. Upgrade to Care Funding Action Pack when you want editable templates, a clearer sequence, and an action-focused toolkit.

30-day money-back guarantee

Important before you buy

This report is a personalised summary of publicly available means-test rules applied to your situation. It is not regulated financial advice under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. For regulated later-life financial advice, we recommend a SOLLA-accredited adviser (societyoflaterlifeadvisers.co.uk). What we do: apply the publicly available MSIF rules and care funding framework to your specific household figures so you understand your position before speaking to a council or adviser.

Why pay for this?

Why not just use GOV.UK or speak to an adviser?

Free guidance helps you understand the rules. A regulated adviser helps with formal recommendations. The Funding Guide sits in the middle: it applies the care funding rules to your family's situation first.

Free guidance

£0

GOV.UK and Age UK explain the rules in general terms, but they do not apply them to your family’s figures.

Good for understanding the system
Not personalised to your council or savings
You still have to work out what applies to you

Most families start here

Funding Guide

£69

The practical middle step for most families: apply the rules to your situation before deciding whether you need paid professional advice.

Personalised means test and funding route view
Council-specific context and 5-year projections
Plain-English explanation of what may be worth doing next

SOLLA adviser

£300–£600

Regulated later-life financial advice when you need recommendations on products, planning, or complex decisions.

Regulated financial advice
Can recommend specific products
Best after you already understand your likely position

Most families use the Funding Guide to understand their likely position first, then decide whether they actually need regulated financial advice.

Important before you buy

Get a clear answer before more money is spent

See whether NHS funding, council support, or a Deferred Payment route may apply — and understand what may be worth doing next.

Free to start
No login required
Full report available from £69

Start free funding check

Takes about 10 minutes. Full report available from £69.

This is an information service, not financial or legal advice. Always consult a qualified adviser before making financial decisions about care funding.

Important before you rely on this report

Had a negative NHS Continuing Healthcare decision already? See our CHC appeal help page for next-step guidance.

Compare local fees and shortfalls: Care home costs by region 2026 · Dementia care costs · Nursing home costs & FNC · Top-up gap checker