How much does a care home cost per week in England?

Average weekly care home fees in England range from around £1,095/week in the North East to £1,456/week in London for residential care (2025–26). Nursing care costs roughly 15–20% more. The national average is approximately £1,200–£1,300/week for residential care and £1,400–£1,500/week for nursing care. Fees vary significantly by region, care type, and individual home.

At what point does the council start paying for care?

In England, local authority (council) funding for care home fees starts when your capital assets fall below £23,250 — the upper means test threshold for 2025–26. Above this level, you fund care yourself. Between £14,250 and £23,250, you pay a tariff income contribution of £1/week per £250 above £14,250 toward your costs.

What is the means test threshold for care home fees in 2026?

For 2025–26, the upper capital threshold is £23,250. Below £14,250, the local authority funds all care costs. Between these two thresholds, a sliding-scale tariff income applies. Your home may be disregarded from the means test for the first 12 weeks of a permanent care placement.

Could NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) pay my care home fees in full?

Yes — if your primary need is a health need, NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) can fund care home fees in full with no means test. Eligibility is determined by a clinical assessment using the NHS Decision Support Tool across 12 care domains. Around 10–15% of care home residents may qualify. Many families never request the initial screening step.

Family discussing care home finances together

Care costs by region · Care funding timeline · Council top-up gap

See your care funding timeline in 2 minutes

Enter your postcode, care type, and savings to estimate how long self-funding may last, what the weekly shortfall could be after council support starts, and whether NHS funding could change the picture.

Your council's exact rate — not a national average

Built from 2025–26 council rates and regional fee benchmarks

No data stored · no follow-ups

Step 1 — see costs in your area

Average care home fees in England 2026

Select your region and care type to see the typical weekly cost.

Average residential care in London

£1,456/wk

≈ £6,309/month

How long will my savings last at this rate?

Step 2 — calculate your savings runway

Build your estimated care funding timeline

Enter your postcode and savings below. We show the key assumptions alongside your answer.

What this estimate is based on

→Your postcode maps to the responsible local authority, so the model uses that council’s 2025–26 rate instead of a broad UK-wide average.
→If you do not have an exact weekly fee yet, the model uses the regional market benchmark for your care type. If you already have a quote from a home, you can use that instead.
→The timeline runs to the England means-test threshold, not to £0, so it shows when council funding may start rather than pretending to predict the final assessment.

Postcode

Type of care

ResidentialHelp with washing, dressing, mealsNursing24-hour registered nursing careDementiaSpecialist memory care unit

Approximate savings & investments

Monthly pension or other income (optional)

State Pension is ~£958/month (2025–26 full rate). Include any private pension too. Leave blank for a cautious estimate.

Weekly care home fee£1,133/wk

Already have prices from a specific home? Drag to set their exact fee — or leave it to use your area’s local benchmark.

Exact weekly fee, if you have one

£400drag to adjust£4,500

Does the person needing care own a property?

Owning a home may allow fees to be deferred rather than paid upfront (Deferred Payment Agreement)

No account needed · Takes under a minute

Compare all free tools: browse the tools hub · Want the full picture? Get the full 5-year projection and CHC evidence check (£69) →

Understand the rules: How the means test works · Do I have to sell the house? · Council rate vs self-funder gap by region · Top-up gap checker

Care home costs by region in England (2025–26)

Average weekly self-funder fees across 9 English regions. Based on care home fee data across England (2025–26). Source: official care home fee records. Fees vary significantly — knowing your region helps you plan accurately.

Region	Residential	Nursing	Dementia
London	£1,456/wk	£1,680/wk	£1,500/wk
South East	£1,450/wk	£1,695/wk	£1,500/wk
East of England	£1,350/wk	£1,530/wk	£1,400/wk
South West	£1,349/wk	£1,546/wk	£1,450/wk
West Midlands	£1,206/wk	£1,400/wk	£1,250/wk
East Midlands	£1,125/wk	£1,370/wk	£1,150/wk
Yorkshire and the Humber	£1,115/wk	£1,400/wk	£1,154/wk
North West	£1,100/wk	£1,400/wk	£1,150/wk
North East	£1,095/wk	£1,160/wk	£1,133/wk

These are market averages — actual fees at individual homes vary. The calculator above uses your postcode to apply the correct regional figure automatically. Full regional breakdown with context →