Question 1

How much does a care home cost in the UK?

Accepted Answer

The national average residential care home in England costs £1,185 per week (2024-25). Nursing care homes cost more — averaging £1,450 per week. Costs vary significantly by region: London and the South East are 10-15% above the national average, while the North East and Yorkshire are 10-15% below. See the per-local-authority breakdown below for figures specific to your area.

Question 2

How much does short-term residential care cost in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Short-term residential care (used for respite, post-hospital recovery, end-of-life care or temporary placements) is reported by local councils to NHS England under the ASC-FR. The 2024-25 national median is published per-LA on Treatcompare; figures vary from around £900 to £1,800 per week depending on the council, support setting and patient age band.

Question 3

Will the council pay for my care?

Accepted Answer

Whether the council pays for your care depends on a means-tested financial assessment. In England, if you have capital above £23,250 (savings + home value if going into residential care) you must pay the full cost yourself. Below this threshold, the council contributes on a sliding scale. The £23,250 upper threshold has been frozen since 2010 and is widely criticised. Treatcompare’s figures show what councils actually pay providers — what you pay privately is typically 20-40% higher.

Question 4

Why do care home costs vary so much by area?

Accepted Answer

Care home costs vary by region because of local labour costs (London staff cost more), property prices (affecting building/rent overheads), care quality variation (CQC ratings drive premiums), and local authority procurement rates. The same care home group can charge £950/week in Yorkshire and £1,400/week in Surrey for equivalent care. Use the per-local-authority data on this site to see what's typical in your area.

Question 5

Is the data on this page real or estimated?

Accepted Answer

The data shown is sourced from NHS England's Adult Social Care Activity and Finance Report (ASC-FR), which publishes per-local-authority unit costs annually under the Open Government Licence. The most recent year is shown. We refresh the data automatically each October when the new release drops. National and regional context figures are computed from the same source data.

Adult Social Care Costs UK 2026

Residential and nursing care

Residential care home

Nursing care home

Residential and nursing care

Short-term care

Use this data in your own work