Caring for a loved one might have felt like a natural and necessary step when a loved one’s health started to decline. While it might feel important for you to remain in control of your parents’ or partner’s care, it shouldn’t come at the cost of your health and wellbeing.
Respite care can help you step back from the role and recharge your batteries without compromising on your family member’s care. Yet, you may wonder who pays for respite care so you can take a well-deserved break, as many funding options have different financial requirements.
In this UK funding guide to respite care, you’ll learn about the various options available, which could provide the time you need to rest and recover from your daily duties.
You might wonder: Do you have to pay for respite care yourself? Or can you receive funding?
We understand you might be scratching your head about who pays for respite care, and you’ll be pleased to know that various funding options are available from your local council, the NHS, and many charitable organisations.
However, each option comes with different eligibility requirements you’d be wise to familiarise yourself with before applying. For instance, local councils assess some funding options based on your loved one’s finances (a means test) and require a carer’s assessment and a needs assessment.
Your local authority/council may provide full or partial respite care funding, but they will carefully review each family’s income and circumstances.
In England, a local authority will means-test your loved one’s income and assets before approving a funding request. For instance, if your loved one has savings or property above £23,250, they must personally fund respite care.
If their assets are between £14,250 and £23,250, the council may provide partial funding for respite care. However, the council might require your family to contribute a tariff income, which is typically £1 for every £250 between the two previously mentioned amounts.
If your family member has under £14,250 in assets, your local authority may provide the maximum amount for respite care. Yet your loved one may need to contribute a small weekly amount from their pension or benefits.
If your local authority will not provide respite care funding or agrees to only pay a portion, carers’ respite grants in the UK are a great solution.
Several charities offer financial support to carers on a low income or who are in desperate need of a break. The following charitable organisations could help you secure a carer’s respite grant in the UK:
· The Respite Association – offers short-term funding to help carers take a break.
· Turn2us – a free tool to help people find a grant based on their background and former occupation.
· Carers Trust – provides respite grants for carers.
Various local support schemes are also available to provide carers with respite; however, they vary by postcode. For example, the NHS provides carer break schemes to support a carer’s health and wellbeing, as long as you’re registered as a loved one’s carer with your GP. Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) can provide funding for gym memberships, spa days, and even theatre tickets.
The Carers Trust regularly provides carers with a small, one-off Time Out grant of up to £300 to fund a weekend away or a hobby. Age UK or your local council may also run day centres near you, which allow carers to take a break while their loved one enjoys four to six hours of activities and lunch.
Depending on your circumstances, your local council may provide a carer with a direct payment in addition to carer’s allowance, which you can use to fund a respite care service.
Your local council may also provide vouchers to help carers take a short break from the role. These vouchers may cover a sitting service for a set number of hours or a weekend at a council-run respite unit.
Unlike local authority funding for respite care, which the council means-tests, the NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding is free, regardless of a person’s wealth, and based on their individual health needs.
If you qualify for CHC, the NHS pays for every aspect of your loved one’s care, including a carer’s respite breaks. However, the NHS will only pay 100% of the care and respite costs if your loved one has complex, unpredictable, or intense medical needs.
In some cases, the NHS and your local council may split the cost for care and support services, known as a Joint Package of Care. This option suits those with complex needs and health and social requirements, but whose condition isn’t severe enough to qualify for CHC funding.
Again, the NHS share is free, but the local authority means-tests its portion. Depending on your loved one’s income, the council may ask your family to contribute financially to a Joint Package of Care.
Your local authority or the NHS must carry out a formal evaluation before they approve respite care funding in the UK.
Local Authority Funding
To request funding from your Local Council’s Adult Social Care department, you must complete:
· A Needs Assessment for your loved one, which reviews their physical and mental health to determine if they require care.
· A Carer’s Assessment to determine if you need a break to protect your physical and mental health. It’s important to be honest about how you’re feeling to receive the right support.
· A Financial Assessment is required by the local council to review your loved one’s finances. To do so, the council reviews your family member’s pension, bank statements, stocks, and shares. If your loved one has more than £23,250 in assets, the local authority will reject the application. If the amount is lower, it will calculate the amount of funding you’re entitled to receive.
The local authority may arrange care on your behalf, or you can request direct payments to choose your own care provider.
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
If your loved one has complex medical needs, ask their GP, social worker, or district nurse for an NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) screening checklist. A professional then completes the screening and decides whether your loved one qualifies for a full assessment.
Following a positive checklist, a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) completes the Decision Support Tool (DST) to identify whether your loved one has a primary health need.
The DST then submits a recommendation to your local Integrated Care Board (ICB), which makes the final decision on funding. You also have the right to appeal if the ICB refuses funding.
The care provider you choose determines the private respite care costs in the UK. As you will self-fund the break, you can pick between a residential home and respite care in your loved one’s home.
If you choose a care home, your loved one will move to the facility for a week or more, and their needs determine the price. You will find that residential care is typically more affordable than nursing or dementia respite. Prices also vary in the UK. Private respite costs are often more affordable in the North of England compared to the South East, for example.
Respite care at home is a great alternative, as it allows your loved one to remain in the comfort of their home while you take a break. Like residential care, the care provider you select and your loved one’s needs determine the cost.
Respite care at home allows your loved one to enjoy the familiarity of home while you take much-needed time to relax and recover, enjoy a holiday, or focus on your health. As your loved one receives 24-hour support and attention from a highly trained live-in carer or nurse, you can enjoy peace of mind that they’re in safe hands.
Home care services prevent a physical and emotional upheaval, as your loved one can maintain their freedom, independence, and the same daily routine.
Consultus Care and Nursing carefully chooses a live-in care or nurse to match your family member’s needs, personality, and lifestyle, ensuring they become great companions while you take a step back from the role.
If you would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about our live-in respite care services.
Live-in care
Careadvisorteam@consultuscare.com
01732 355231
Live-in nursing
01732 770 403
Claire joined Consultus in December 2024, bringing four years of marketing expertise in brand development, content creation, and communications. A Media Practice BA (Hons) graduate from the University of Sussex, Claire develops engaging digital content and print assets to enhance Consultus Care's communications.
Give us a call to discuss your needs with one of our friendly, expert Care Advisors. They will guide you through your options to ensure you make the right choice for you and your family.
To find out more about our award-winning live-in care services, download our brochure below.
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