There’s no single answer to what care costs — it depends on how many hours you need, how often, and whether live-in care makes more sense than visits. What we can do here is explain how care is actually funded in England, so you know what questions to ask before you get a quote.
What Affects the Cost
Hourly care is priced per visit, so cost scales with how many visits a week you need and how long each one is. Live-in care is priced differently again, as a daily or weekly rate covering round-the-clock support. Complexity matters too: dementia care or end of life care can need more experienced staff or closer supervision than a straightforward companionship visit. The only way to get an accurate figure is a proper conversation about your situation, which is why we don’t publish a generic price list.
How Care Is Funded
There are four main routes people use to pay for care in England. Most people end up using one of these, or a combination.
Self-Funding
If your savings and assets (excluding your home, if you’re receiving care at home) are above £23,250, you’ll generally be expected to pay for your own care. Self-funding means you deal with us directly, with full control over what care looks like and how it’s delivered.
Local Authority Funding
If your capital is below £23,250, your local council may contribute. Below £14,250 you may not have to contribute from your capital at all, though income is still taken into account. It starts with a care needs assessment from the council, followed by a financial assessment. Even where the council is involved, you can still choose Daisy Homecare as your provider.
Direct Payments
If the council agrees to fund your care, you can ask to receive that funding as a Direct Payment instead of having the council arrange care for you. The money is paid to you (or a nominated person) and you use it to arrange your own care, on your own terms. A lot of families we work with in Portsmouth use Direct Payments specifically because it lets them choose a local, family-run agency over whoever the council would otherwise assign. If you’re already receiving Direct Payments and looking to switch provider, that’s a conversation we have regularly, and it’s a straightforward process.
NHS Continuing Healthcare
If your needs are primarily health-related rather than social, you may be assessed for NHS Continuing Healthcare, which is fully funded by the NHS regardless of your savings. This is a smaller group of people with complex, ongoing medical needs, and eligibility is assessed by healthcare professionals, not us.
Get a Personalised Quote
We don’t quote prices without understanding your situation first, it wouldn’t be accurate and it wouldn’t be fair to you. Get in touch and we’ll talk through what you need, what funding route applies, and what it’s likely to cost.