How much does home care cost in the UK in 2026?

Home care in the UK typically costs between £24 and £35 per hour for visiting care, and £900 to £1,500 per week for live-in care through a registered agency — though what you actually pay depends heavily on where you live, how many hours are needed, whether it is a weekday or a weekend, and whether your family qualifies for any council funding. The Homecare Association calculates the minimum sustainable rate in England for 2024-25 at around £28.53 per hour, which gives a useful floor: any provider charging significantly less is likely cutting corners on pay, training, or staffing. Here is what the numbers actually look like in practice, and what families should watch for.

Typical hourly rates for visiting care

The hourly rate you see quoted is rarely the whole picture — more on that below — but as a starting point:

Type	Typical range (England, 2026)
Visiting care, weekday	£24 — £32/hour
Visiting care, weekend	£28 — £42/hour
Visiting care, bank holiday	£36 — £55/hour
Night care (waking)	£18 — £28/hour (sleep-in rate)
Night care (waking nights)	£130 — £200 per night
Specialist care (dementia, palliative)	£30 — £40+/hour

London and the South East consistently sit at the higher end of these ranges. The reasons are partly wage-driven — the London Living Wage is higher, and the cost of carers' travel time is built into rates in a city where getting between clients can take 30 minutes. In some parts of the North of England and Wales, you will find rates closer to £22–£26 per hour.

The National Living Wage from April 2025 is £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21 and over. A carer on the minimum wage, working a 35-hour week, earns around £22,000 a year before tax. Many providers pay above minimum wage — particularly those with a Good or Outstanding CQC rating — which feeds directly into the rates they charge. Low hourly rates are often a sign of a provider that cannot attract or retain experienced staff.

Live-in care costs

Live-in care through a registered agency typically costs between £900 and £1,500 per week, depending on the level of support required and the agency's location. The wide range reflects genuine differences: a carer supporting someone with moderate needs who is largely mobile costs less than a two-carer live-in package for someone with complex physical needs who requires hoisting.

A directly employed live-in carer — hired privately, perhaps via an introductory agency — will often cost less per week, around £700 to £1,000. But when you hire directly you become the employer. That means:

• Paying National Insurance contributions (employer's, on top of the carer's earnings)
• Pension contributions under auto-enrolment
• Statutory sick pay when the carer is ill
• Holiday pay (at least 5.6 weeks per year)
• Organising cover during holidays and illness — which often means finding a second carer

For many families this is entirely manageable, and a good introductory agency will help with the paperwork. But it is worth being clear-eyed about the full cost of employment before assuming the lower headline rate means lower actual spend.

What a typical weekly care bill looks like

This is where things get concrete. To illustrate, three scenarios:

Scenario 1: Low-need support (two visits a day) Two 45-minute visits daily — morning and evening — adds up to about 10.5 hours a week. At £28/hour on weekdays and £35 at weekends, a rough weekly total is around £340–£380. That is before any bank holiday surcharges.

Scenario 2: Moderate need (four visits a day, some weekend cover) Four visits daily — morning, lunchtime, afternoon, evening — with the same carer on weekdays but agency cover at weekends. Say 25 hours a week, mixed weekday/weekend rates: a weekly bill in the region of £750–£1,000 is realistic for most of England outside London.

Scenario 3: High need (near-constant support, live-in) Someone who cannot safely be left alone, needs regular turning, or requires reassurance through the night will likely need live-in care or an intensive multi-visit package. At this level, live-in care (£900–£1,500/week through an agency) often works out cheaper than multiple daily visits plus overnight support.

These are rough illustrations, not quotes. Actual costs depend on your specific area, provider, and what is in the care plan. Get written quotes from at least three providers.

Hidden fees to ask about

Many families are caught out by charges that were not visible in the headline rate. Before signing any agreement, ask in writing:

Minimum call charges. Some agencies charge for a minimum of 30 minutes, even for a 15-minute medication check. Over the course of a month, this adds up.

Travel and mileage. Some providers charge for carers' travel time between clients, or add a mileage fee. This is most common in rural areas where distances between visits are significant.

Weekend and bank holiday surcharges. Weekend rates are typically 20–50% above weekday rates. Bank holidays can be double time. If your care plan includes daily visits seven days a week, these surcharges are not a minor line item.

Start-up and registration fees. Some agencies charge an initial assessment fee or administration charge to set up a care package. Others do not. It is worth asking.

PPE charges. Less common now than during the pandemic, but some providers still charge for personal protective equipment used during visits.

Cancellation terms. If your mum is admitted to hospital, how quickly can you suspend visits? Some agencies require notice of 24–48 hours before they stop charging.

The rough cost calculator

If you want a working estimate before speaking to providers, this is how to approach it:

1. Count the visits needed per day. Morning, lunchtime, afternoon, evening — how many, and roughly how long each?
2. Multiply by hours per week. Seven days, average visit length in hours.
3. Apply a blended rate. Use approximately £28–£30 for a weekday baseline, with the understanding that 2/7 days will cost more.
4. Add 15–20% as a contingency for surcharges, bank holidays (there are 8 per year in England), and any minimum-call rounding.
5. If overnight cover is needed, add a separate sleep-in rate (typically charged per night, not per hour) on top.

For example: two 45-minute visits per day, seven days a week.

• Total hours: 2 × 0.75 × 7 = 10.5 hours
• Blended estimate at £30/hour: £315
• Add 15% for surcharges: £362
• Annual cost at this level: approximately £18,800

That is self-funded visiting care at a moderate London rate for a fairly low level of need.

Council funding: who qualifies and what it covers

The Care Act 2014 gives everyone in England the right to a free needs assessment from their local council — regardless of their financial situation. If you have not asked for one, do so now. It costs nothing.

If the assessment finds that your mum's needs meet the national eligibility threshold (under the Care Act, this is "moderate" needs or above, though councils have some discretion), the council will then carry out a financial assessment.

The current capital thresholds in England (2025-26):

• Below £14,250 in savings and assets: the council pays for all assessed care costs
• £14,250 — £23,250: the person contributes a portion based on a tariff income calculation
• Above £23,250: the person is currently expected to fund their own care in full

Note that the family home is generally not counted in the financial assessment while the person is still living in it — though it becomes relevant if they move into a care home. This is a complex area and worth taking independent advice on; Age UK's factsheet on paying for care at home is a reliable starting point.

If the council does fund care, they will often arrange it directly — using their preferred providers. Alternatively, you can request a Direct Payment, which puts the money in your hands to arrange care yourself.

Direct Payments and personal budgets

A Direct Payment is money paid by the council directly to you (or a nominated person) to pay for care. The amount is based on what the council calculates it would cost them to meet your assessed needs. You then arrange and manage the care yourself.

This gives more flexibility — you can hire a personal assistant directly, use an agency, or mix both — but it also means more administration. Councils require you to keep records showing how the money is spent, and audits do happen.

A personal budget can also be taken as a managed budget (council arranges the care on your behalf) or a mix of both. Worth discussing with the care manager during the assessment.

When costs spike

Several circumstances push care costs significantly higher:

Two-carer visits. If someone needs to be hoisted, or requires support that one carer cannot safely provide alone, providers will charge for two carers per visit. Many agencies charge for both carers individually — so a 45-minute two-carer visit can cost £60 or more.

Specialist equipment needs. Hoists, specialist beds, and pressure-relief mattresses are usually provided via the NHS or community occupational therapy services, but there are sometimes delays. If a family rents equipment privately, this adds to the overall cost.

Medication complexity. Carers can prompt and, with appropriate training and protocols, administer medications — but anything complex (PEG tubes, subcutaneous injections) requires a district nurse. These services are NHS-funded, but a reduction in district nursing capacity in some areas means families sometimes pay for private nursing visits.

Nights. Sleep-in carers are cheaper than waking-night carers, but a carer who is expected to be genuinely responsive overnight cannot be sleep-in. Waking-night care is charged per shift (typically 9–10 hours) and costs considerably more.

A note on value versus cost

The lowest hourly rate is not always the best deal. High staff turnover, inconsistent carers, and poor communication cost families in ways that do not appear on an invoice: the hour spent chasing a missed visit, the anxiety of a parent not knowing who is coming, the time a family member has to step in because a carer did not show. These are real costs.

When comparing providers, look at their CQC rating (but also read the report), ask specifically about staff turnover, and ask how they handle missed or late visits. Our guide to CQC ratings explains what the inspection reports actually tell you.

Getting quotes

You should get written quotes from at least three providers before committing. When you call:

• Ask for a full written fee schedule, including weekend and bank holiday rates
• Ask specifically about minimum call charges, travel charges, and any start-up fees
• Ask whether rates are reviewed annually, and with how much notice
• Ask what happens to billing when your mum is in hospital

A reputable agency will answer these questions without hesitation. Evasiveness on costs is itself a signal.