Funding guide
How to pay for home care
Funding home care can feel complicated. This guide explains your main options clearly - and why private funding gives your family the most security and control.
Important: Protect your parent's care during hospital stays
If your parent is funded by the council or NHS and they go into hospital, their care package may be reassessed. This can mean losing MoralCare as their provider - not by our choice, but by NHS or local authority rules. Private funding protects against this completely. Your parent keeps their carers, their routine and their peace of mind.
Not sure where to start? Call us on 01524 874110 and we will talk you through the options that apply to your parent's situation. There is no obligation and no cost.
Private Funding
RecommendedPrivate funding is the most straightforward way to arrange care - and it comes with a significant advantage that many families don't realise until it's too late.
When your parent's care is funded privately, you stay in full control. If your parent is admitted to hospital, their care package with MoralCare is protected - it stays in place, ready for when they come home. With council or NHS-funded care, a hospital admission can mean the funding is reassessed or withdrawn entirely. This can result in your parent losing MoralCare as their care provider - not because of anything we've done, but because of NHS or local authority rules. Being moved to a different care company during a health crisis is deeply unsettling for vulnerable people. Private funding removes that risk completely.
- Daily 50-min visit: £26.99 | Daily 20-min visit: £18.99
- No charges for weekends, evenings, PPE or petrol
- No 12-month contracts - flexible arrangements
- Invoiced every 4 weeks, paid by direct debit
Direct Payment Card
Council-funded flexibilityIf your parent qualifies for council-funded care, you don't have to accept whoever the council assigns. You can request a Direct Payment Card instead - this puts the funding in your hands so you can choose your own care provider.
- The council loads your parent's care budget onto a prepaid card
- You use the card to pay MoralCare (or any registered provider) directly
- Gives you full choice and control over who provides the care
- Your parent keeps the carers they know and trust
If your parent is currently council-funded and wants to stay with MoralCare, ask your social worker about switching to a Direct Payment. It's your right.
Attendance Allowance
Most commonA government benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision due to illness or disability. It is not means-tested - savings and income do not affect eligibility.
- Lower rate: £73.90/week (daytime or night-time care needed)
- Higher rate: £110.40/week (care needed day and night, or terminally ill)
- Does not affect most other benefits
- Apply via form AA1 from the DWP or call 0800 731 0122
We can help you understand whether your parent is likely to qualify.
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
Fully fundedNHS CHC is a package of ongoing care arranged and funded entirely by the NHS for people with complex health needs. If your parent qualifies, the NHS pays for all their care - including home care.
- Eligibility is based on health needs, not age or diagnosis
- A formal assessment is carried out by a multidisciplinary team
- MoralCare is an approved provider for NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB
- We can support you through the application process
Many families are unaware their parent may qualify. It is always worth asking. Be aware that NHS-funded packages can be reassessed if your parent is hospitalised, which may affect continuity of care.
Local Authority (Council) Funding
Means-testedLancashire County Council can fund or contribute to home care costs following a needs assessment. Funding is means-tested - the amount your parent contributes depends on their savings and income.
- Request a Care Needs Assessment from Lancashire County Council
- A financial assessment follows to determine contribution
- Council may fund all, part, or none of the cost
- MoralCare is on the Lancashire County Council domiciliary care framework
Even if your parent has savings above the threshold, a needs assessment is still worthwhile. If your parent is council-funded and wants to choose their own provider, ask about a Direct Payment Card (see above).
NHS-Funded Nursing Care
For nursing needsIf your parent lives in a care home and has nursing needs, the NHS contributes a weekly payment toward their nursing care. This is separate from CHC and is not means-tested.
- Standard rate: £235.88/week (2024/25)
- Paid directly to the care home, not the individual
- Applies to residential care settings, not home care
- Assessed by a registered nurse
This applies to care home placements rather than home care.
Not sure which funding applies to your parent?
We help families navigate funding options every day. Give us a call or send a message - we are happy to talk it through with no obligation.