Funding
Below it, your loved one’s savings are left alone and the council pays its share. Above it, they pay the full fee for now. If Aria costs more than the council’s usual rate, the difference can be paid as a top-up.
Which side of the line they are on.
Once an assessment finds eligible needs — see Your Rights — the council has a duty to meet them, and this is where its money comes in. Most families are in one of the situations below.
- Less than £50,000. Savings are ignored completely. Your loved one contributes from their income, mostly pensions, and keeps at least £46.35 a week for themselves (the 2026/27 amount). The council pays the rest, up to what it calls its usual cost.
- More than £50,000 in savings and assets. They pay the full fee for now, as a self-funder, under a contract with the home. The council can still arrange the place if you would like it to. Attendance Allowance continues for self-funders. An independent financial adviser who specialises in care fees is worth an hour before anything is signed. When savings approach £50,000, tell the council in good time so its contribution starts without a gap.
If their money is in their house, or their needs are mainly health needs, that is covered on Our Fees.
A top-up is a choice, never a condition.
The difference can be paid by someone other than them, usually a relative, as a third-party top-up. It is a choice, made when there are other suitable homes available at the council’s rate. Where there are not, the council meets the difference itself. The figure is worked out with you before anything is signed.
We’ll explain why you should never be forced to pay a ‘top-up’ as a condition of your relative’s continuity of care. We’ll explain what every Council must do first – before they try to instruct you to move homes. We’ll make sure you’re fully informed at every stage.
- A choice of home. When the council is helping to pay, it must arrange the home you prefer, provided the home suits their needs, has a room, and will contract with the council. If it costs more than the council’s usual rate, someone can pay the difference; that is what a top-up is. The choice is not limited to the council’s own list.
- More than one option. For that to be a real choice, the council should have more than one suitable home available at its usual rate. If it has only one, it should pay for the home you prefer itself.
The full list of rights is on Your Rights.
…the money runs out, or the council says no?
You’ll often hear “they’ll need to move to a cheaper home” — this simply is not the case, and a council cannot enforce a blanket decision that requires a vulnerable person to move homes based solely on cost. We’ve supported families through both situations, and we’ve featured in national media on this exact subject.
Both answers in full, and ten more: FAQ.