An important factor when deciding which care home is suitable for your loved one is the costs involved in providing residential care. While some residents have the means to pay for care privately, other rely on local authority funding to be able to cover the cost of care.
Here we will discuss the care fees associated with residential care, respite care and day care available at Hope Park House, and the different local authority funding channels you can investigate to see if a suitable funding package can be provided for you.
Hope Park House does not provide advice on funding, tax or other financial matters regarding the cost of care. The resources provided here are a starting point for you to investigate the different options that may be applicable to you, but ultimately speak with your local council or citizens advice to find out what you may be entitled to.
It is important to note that regardless of the funding source, we will happily accept any resident where we feel we can meet their care needs.
What is the self funding or “private” cost of care at Hope Park House in Blairgowrie?
For those that are paying their care fees privately or self funding their care, our rates at present at £990 per week. We review our fees annually from the 1st of April to ensure we are maintaining an affordable rate that can cover the costs involved in providing high quality care.
For those that are self funding, the local authority will still provide “free personal care” payments on behalf of these residents, which we then deduct from the fees we then will charge.
How much do care homes cost per month?
The cost of residential care at Hope Park House per month is £3,960 based on 4 weeks.
How much do care homes cost per week?
The cost of residential care at Hope Park House per week is £990.
Are care home costs tax deductible?
The costs associated with residential care are tax deductible under the general scheme for tax relief on medical expenses depending on the level of care you are receiving.
Whether you yourself are the resident or you are paying for another person to receive residential nursing care, you can still claim the tax relief.
The rate is claimable at the highest rate of income tax for those receiving 24 hour residential care.
Hope Park House does not provide financial advice or guidance on tax or funding matters. To find out what information is applicable to you please contact your local authority or citizens advice team. The laws and regulations on tax vary across the UK and Northern Ireland so please ensure any advice you get is relevant to you.
How can my local authority assist with funding (Perthshire)?
Even if you choose to arrange and pay for your care without the assistance of your local council it is still recommended however to have a conversation with your local council about a care needs assessment which looks at what specifically your care needs are and what support and funding is available.
The care needs assessment will decide if:
- the council pays the higher local authority rate towards your care fees and you will need to pay a contribution towards the cost of your care
- the council pays the lower residential local authority rate and determines what contribution you will need to pay
- you pay the full cost of your care home costs, less free personal care
This assessment, therefore, also looks at your income (including pensions and benefits) and your current savings and assets (such as savings or property). This assessment is completely dependant on your own personal situation – for example in certain circumstances when you are receiving care at home or even in care home, the value of your own property will not be included.
Another factor taken into account when discussing your own circumstances is the upper capital limit or UCL. The upper capital limit currently in England and Wales is £23,250 in savings, property or other assets, however from October 2025 the savings threshold will be increased to £100,000 in England and Wales only. In Scotland however there has been no confirmation of this and therefore you should discuss your financial situation including savings with a financial advisor and your local authority.
The amount your local authority will contribute to your care hosts depends on what care you need and how much you can afford to pay.
Hope Park House does not provide financial advice on funding matters. To find out what information is applicable to you please contact your local authority or citizens advice team.
Can I protect my home from care home costs?
If your parents or partner require residential care, they may not need to give up their own home to be able to cover their care costs. If you as a spouse/civil partner/cohabiting partner or a qualifying dependant still lives in the property, the value of the home will not be considered when carrying out a financial assessment. Qualifying dependants can also include:
- Close relatives who are disabled or over 60
- Close relatives under 16 they have legal responsibility for
- An ex-spouse or partner who is a single parent
If those staying in the property are however tenants, lodgers or adult children (who are under 60 and in good health), the home’s value will be included in the means test. In this situation, it could either be sold to cover care costs, or you could release equity from it.
Hope Park House does not provide financial advice on funding matters. To find out what information is applicable to you please contact your local authority or citizens advice team.
What is equity release?
Equity release allows homeowners aged 55 and over release cash (equity) from the value of their home tax free. This can be used to help pay for care services but it is important to discuss this with your local authority to see if this is a suitable option for you.
Is there a cap on care costs?
In England, a cap on care costs of £86,000 annually has been proposed.
However, Because the Scottish Government have made weekly contribution to personal and nursing care since July 2002, the cap will not apply to Scottish residential care home costs.
What is a care home top up fee?
A care home top up fee is also sometimes known as a third-party top up fee. If your care home fees cost more than your council funding is willing to contribute towards the cost, care homes could ask a third party to pay the remaining care cost. However, Hope Park do not charge top-up fees.
If you are considering providing a contribution to your loved ones care home fees it is importing to consider your own financial position. If your own personal circumstances changed would you still be able to afford to pay the care home fees? What would you do if you could not make the payment? Do you have access to any financial help or funding that could assist you in this circumstance. Care home fees are also reviewed regularly, if these were to increase would you be able to provide more financial support?
Due to there being so many factors at play it is important to discuss your position with a financial advisor to ensure you have the means to provide financial assistance with your loved ones care. Hope Park House do not provide financial advice towards our residents care fees.
Care Costs Calculator
We always recommend speaking with your local council before committing to any care home fees, however it is possible to get an estimate as to what your care costs may be.
Legal and General have a care costs calculator that takes into account the likes of home value, care needs, income, location and any savings. This can give you a rough estimate as to what your care costs may be and allow you to budget for this in the future.
The care costs calculator only takes a few minutes to complete and is a great way to get an initial idea as to how much funding you may be entitled to. However, as it is intended as an indicative cost tool only, it is the local authority’s own financial assessment that will ultimately be applied.
What is NHS Continuing Healthcare or Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care?
NHS Continuing Healthcare, now known as Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care, is a “continuing care package” that is provided to adults if they have needs arising from a disability, accident or illness that cannot be met by existing universal or specialist care services alone.
Eligibility for Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care funding is determined by the following:
- what help you need
- how complex your needs are
- how intense your needs can be
- how unpredictable they are, including any risks to your health if the right care is not provided at the right time
It is important to note that the criteria for Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care is not determined by any particular diagnosis or condition, it is purely based on your assessed needs.
A decision is usually made within 28 days of your initial assessment or request for a full assessment, and if you do not meet the criteria you can instead be referred to your local council who can recommend alternative methods of funding you may be entitled to.
NHS Continuing Healthcare is usually provided to those with additional nursing support needs and does not often apply to residents at Hope Park House. If you think you would be entitled to NHS Continuing Healthcare it is important to speak to your local authority to see if you meet the criteria.
What is a “joint package” of care?
A “joint package” of care is where two parties come together to provide funding for your care home costs. This is usually between the NHS and your local authority.
This usually is the alternative where Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care has been determined as not an option.
With the NHS only partially funding care costs, this is adding additional strain on local authority funding. It is possible to appeal a decision where Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care has not been granted – upon a decision not to fund you should be given you decision in writing alongside a copy of the assessment notes made by the assessor.
To launch an appeal you must ensure you can gather the evidence required that you feel makes you eligible for funding. This can include:
- Information in the assessment that you feel is incorrect, misleading or has not been included
- Familiarise yourself with The Coughlan Case
- Ensure all care notes are accurate, complete and full of detail. Failure to keep proper notes can lead to your case not being approved so it is vital to ensure any notes kept about you or your loved one are as detailed as possible.
- Keep your own notes on your loved ones care to ensure no essential information has been missed
- Collate all information about your relative’s care needs in every care domain, and suggest the correct scores – a care domain is an ‘aspect’ of care, e.g. Mobility, Behaviour, etc., and these are set out in the Checklist document and the Decision Support Tool.)
The Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care team at the CCG (clinical commissioning groups) will then review your appeal and inform you of their decision.
The process involved in Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care assessments can be complex. An organisation called Beacon gives free independent advice on NHS Continuing Healthcare/Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care.
Hope Park House cannot give financial advice on funding or launching appeals. If you are looking to find out more about “joint packages” or launching an appeal please consult your local authority and financial advisor.
Does moving into a care home affect your private and state pensions?
State Pensions
When staying in residential care you are still entitled to your State Pension if you have reached State Penson age.
If you are a self funder, you will continue to receive your State Pension as normal.
If your local authority is helping you pay care home fees, your State Pension will be counted as income in your financial assessment.
Your pension will then be used to pay towards the costs of your care home fees but to ensure you still have an income each week, they exclude a set amount from your pension, known as Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA). This amount varies across the UK:
- England: £25.65 per week
- Scotland: £28.12 per week
- Wales: £33.99 per week (in Wales it’s called Minimum Income Amount)
- Northern Ireland: £28.01 per week
Private Pensions
If you are a self funder you will continue to receive your Private Pension as normal at the amount defined by yourself or your previous employers.
If your local authority is contributing to your care home fees, your Private Pension will be included as an asset or saving when conducting your Financial Assessment.
If you move into permanent residential or nursing care and you have a partner still living at home, you can choose to pass on half your private pension to them. This then means that 50 per cent of your private pension will be disregarded from the Financial Assessment.
This is done to protect one partner from financial hardship following a local authority’s Financial Assessment as there may be significant differences between their incomes.
What happens to my care home fees?
Many people worry about where the care costs they pay go to once received by the care provider. Hope Park House are proud to be a charitable trust meaning we have no directors or owners to pay bonuses or dividends to.
What this means is that any care fees provided to the home are used to improve the quality of care given at the home. Fees are reinvested into the care and facilities provided including activities for our residents, new equipment and training for our care assistants.
Our advice on care fees
We at Hope Park House always recommend discussing with your own local authority fees and their financial assessment as we have no input into the assessment process. This means sadly we cannot advise how much funding a person is likely to get or what they will be entitled to. Fees vary from resident to resident depending on how much NHS funding and local authority funding they are entitled to.
For those intending to cover their own fees or be a self funder, we recommend still speaking with your local authority and the NHS to see if any entitlement can be claimed.
We would also like to reiterate that there is absolutely no difference to the care we provide whether our residents are local authority funded or self funded.
If you are looking for resources on receiving financial support or funding, please get in touch with your local authority or council, citizens advice bureau and a financial advisor to ensure you are receiving any funding you should be entitled to.
