Paying for care and nursing homes

Information about who can get help to pay for care and nursing homes, including third party top up, deferred payment agreement, and property disregards.

12 week disregard for homeowners

When you’re permanently moving into a care home that is organised and paid for by us, we don’t count the value of your property for the first 12 weeks. We call this the 12-week property disregard.

We do this to give you time to consider your options for funding your care.

Indefinite disregard

Your property will be disregarded indefinitely if it will continue to be the home of any of the following people after you’ve moved into a care home:

  • your partner or spouse
  • a close relative aged over 60
  • a relative aged under 60 who is incapacitated
  • a divorced or estranged partner who is a lone parent
  • a child under 16 who is maintained by you

What you cannot do

Someone cannot move into the property to gain the disregard for you. If this happens, we will still include its value in the assessment.

How you’ll pay for your care home

You will need to pay towards your care costs from income and other capital during the 12 weeks.

What to consider

During the 12 week period, you might want to consider:

  • selling your property
  • renting it out
  • entering into a deferred payment arrangement

Get financial advice from an expert

We are not allowed to give you any advice about your money and paying for care. We strongly recommend seeking independent financial advice from an expert.

You can speak to the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) by calling 0333 2020 454. They may charge a fee for their services.

How to tell us you're interested

We'll ask some questions to determine if you're eligible for a property disregard during your financial assessment. We'll automatically work out if it applies to you. You can talk to us about the process during your financial assessment.