England’s system of means-testing for care of those who meet eligibility criteria is by far the least generous of the four UK nations.
While Northern Ireland operates the same capital thresholds for care home placements as England, its health and social care trusts generally do not charge for care at home, contrary to practice in England charging is routine.
In Wales, there is a higher single capital threshold for care home placements of £50,000, above which people must fund their care in full, while for care at home the threshold in Wales is £24,000 and there is a £100 cap on weekly charges for care at home.
Personal care is free at home in Scotland, with care home residents receiving weekly personal care payments of – currently – £248.70 per week. Other care home costs are means-tested but with more generous capital limits than in England - £21,500 lower threshold and £35,000 upper threshold.
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