What if you own your own home?
If your stay in a residential home is temporary, we will not count the value of your home in the cost of your stay.
If your stay becomes permanent, we will take account of the value of your home - except where 1 of the following people currently live in your home, as their main and only home:
- your husband, wife or partner
- a relative aged 60 or over, or who is incapacitated (incapacitated means they receive a social security benefit that recognises incapacity or disability, or they would be eligible for one)
- a dependent child aged 16 or under who you are responsible for.
If your capital is under £23,250, we will always ignore the value of your home for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay - this is called the 12-week property disregard. This does not apply if you have previously funded your own care fees. If you're eligible for the 12-week property disregard, we will need to carry out a financial assessment to work out your contribution for this period, from your income and capital under £23,250.
If you cannot pay the full cost of your care (either because your property has not yet been sold, or because you do not want to sell your property), you may be eligible for our deferred payment scheme.