Toggle mobile menu visibility

Bank holiday information - Easter

Bank holiday information for our services, including opening times and emergency contacts. All recycling collections will take place on the usual days.

Paying for residential care

How much you will have to pay for residential care depends on your income, savings and other assets.

If you have less than £50,000 in savings or other capital assets (including your home) and Social Services have agreed that moving to a residential home is the best way of meeting your care needs, then you should request a financial assessment. Depending on the outcome of this assessment, Social Services may be able to make a contribution towards your care home fees.

Self-funders

If your capital assets are more than £50,000 you will normally be responsible for paying the full cost of your care home fees. Such people are referred to as 'self-funders'.

If you own your own home

If you own your home, we may take its value into account from the time you become a permanent resident in the care home. This depends on individual circumstances. For example, if your partner or an elderly or severely disabled relative is still living there, we will ignore the value of the home and you will not be expected to sell it. This might also apply if other members of your family are living there, but we will decide this based on individual circumstances. On the other hand, if the house is left empty when you move permanently into care, you would be expected, after 12 weeks, to sell it to raise money towards the cost of care. There is more detailed information regarding this on our owning your own home and deferring payments page.

Top up fees or third party payments

Some independent care homes charge fees which are higher than the maximum amount that Social Services can contribute.

If Social Services is contributing towards your care home fees, and you choose to move into a home which charges a higher fee, someone, normally a relative, will have to pay the difference between the two amounts - known as both 'top-up fees' and 'third party payments' - directly to the home.

The person who is living in the home is not normally allowed to pay the top-up fees. This is because that person will have had a financial assessment and already be contributing as much as the government's rules for care home fee payments say they can afford.

The maximum amount we will pay towards care in an independently run home

We put a limit on the amount of money we will pay towards care in an independently run home. The fees charged by independently run residential homes vary from home to home.

In 2024/2025 the maximum level of fees which we will contribute to care homes in the City and County of Swansea is:

  • Residential  (personal) care for older people: £848 per week
  • General nursing care (including the personal care element): £888 per week
  • Dementia nursing care (including the personal care element): £937 per week

If you want to move to a care home in the City and County of Swansea which charges more than this, you will have to arrange for someone else (such as a relative) to pay the difference through what is known as an Additional charges third party (top-up) payments, sometimes referred to as 'top up' payments.

If you want to move to a home which is outside the City and County of Swansea, we will first need to find out the usual contribution for that category of care which is made by the local authority in that area. We will then use that to inform the contribution we make, however we will not pay more than the equivalent rate paid for homes in the Swansea area.

Continuing NHS health care

If you have complex, ongoing health care needs the team involved in your care, including the relevant health professionals, must consider whether you meet the eligibility criteria for continuing NHS care. If you are eligible for this, there is no charge for services that address your personal care or health needs. This can be provided in any setting, for example, your own home, a care home or in hospital. You can find further details of continuing NHS health care using the following link: NHS information about continuing health care (opens new window).

Funding your own residential care (self-funders)

If you have more than £50,000 in capital assets, including your home and savings, you will have to pay the full cost of your care.

Owning your own home and deferring payments

Deferring payments for care home fees when you own your own home.

Additional charges third party (top-up) payments

Some independent care homes charge fees which are higher than the usual amount that Social Services can contribute.

Search for advice and support

We have provided a list of local and national organisations which could offer you further advice and support.