Do you have to sell your home to pay for care?

The NHS financial assessment guide explains that the value of the main home is not included when care is provided at home. For a permanent care home placement, its value may be relevant. Other property, savings and income may still need to be considered, so excluding the main home does not mean there is no financial assessment.

A temporary care home stay requires its own consideration. The statutory rules include disregarding the main home where the person intends to return and it remains available, or in certain circumstances where they are arranging a more suitable home to return to. Ask the council to confirm how the stay is classified and why.

Record the date a temporary arrangement becomes permanent if that happens. Do not rely only on the provider's description of a booking. The assessed situation and applicable rules matter. Our comparison of care at home and a care home can help with the care decision, while this guide concentrates on the property questions that follow.

For permanent care home care, the main home may have to be disregarded where a qualifying person continues to occupy it as their main or only home. The statutory guidance, Annex B includes a partner, with specified relationship qualifications, certain relatives aged 60 or over, the resident's child aged under 18, and certain relatives who are incapacitated.

The rules have conditions, including the relationship, occupation and relevant timing. “A relative lives there” is not enough to establish the result. Tell the council who occupies the property, their relationship to the person receiving care, their age where relevant and how long it has been their main home. Ask what evidence is needed for any disability or incapacity related condition.

A council can consider a discretionary disregard in other circumstances. Ask for the facts to be considered where the position does not fit a straightforward category. Do not assume occasional stays, an emotional attachment or a later change of address automatically establish protection. Request the written decision and its reasons.

This record helps separate facts from assumptions. It does not calculate eligibility or tell the council how to value an interest in property.

Share financial documents through the council's stated secure process. Ask for clarification if the assessment appears to count the whole property when the person owns only an interest in it.

In qualifying circumstances, a 12 week property disregard gives time to consider how care will be funded without counting the main home's value for that initial period. It is subject to rules and is not a fresh automatic allowance every time someone changes home or runs down savings.

The resident can still have an assessed contribution from income and other resources. The phrase does not mean twelve weeks of completely free care. Ask the council whether the disregard applies, its start and end dates, the contribution during that period and the arrangement afterwards.

The statutory guidance sets out the national provisions. Council information, such as East Sussex's April 2026 property factsheet, illustrates the practical assessment and payment questions, but your own council must explain the decision for your circumstances. Use the period to obtain advice and confirm a plan rather than waiting until the final week to raise the next funding step.

A deferred payment agreement can allow an eligible person to postpone paying some care costs from property value. The council meets agreed costs and the amount is repaid later, commonly when the property is sold or from the estate. It is not a grant and it does not erase the care bill.

Eligibility, sufficient security, the available equity and the terms all matter. Interest and administration charges can apply. MoneyHelper's deferred payment guide explains the arrangement and the questions to ask. Request a written illustration of the amount deferred, any ongoing contribution, charges, interest, repayment events and limits.

Ask what happens if fees rise or the available equity reduces. Confirm responsibilities for insuring and maintaining the property. If renting it out is being considered, obtain advice about the obligations and how rental income affects the arrangement. Do not compare options using the headline care fee alone while leaving property costs and administration out of the calculation.

Ask the council to show whether the property is included, the value or interest being assessed, any disregard considered and the resulting contribution. If the decision seems wrong, ask for an explanation and the review or complaints route. A clear written decision gives an adviser something concrete to examine.

Then consider the payment options with appropriate independent financial or legal advice. Selling, deferring or retaining a property can have different costs and consequences. The right arrangement depends on ownership, other resources, occupants and the person's wishes. This guide cannot determine the best financial product or property transaction for an individual.

Check who has authority to make decisions and sign documents. Being next of kin does not by itself establish authority to sell another person's property or borrow against it. If that is unclear, address it before a sale or loan agreement is arranged. Our care funding guide explains how the wider assessment route fits together.

Giving property or money away is not a reliable way to make care free. Councils can consider deliberate deprivation of assets and may treat a person as still possessing an asset in relevant circumstances. The NHS means test guidance explains this risk. Obtain advice about a proposed transfer and be open about relevant transactions in the assessment.

Keep the person's care, housing and lawful financial interests at the centre of the discussion. Family preferences about inheritance do not decide whether an occupied property qualifies for a disregard or whether a payment agreement is suitable. Avoid making irreversible choices in response to a general claim that “the council takes the house”.

If liquid savings are reducing while the property decision is unresolved, contact the council early. Our guide to running out of money for care helps organise that conversation. Where someone proposes an additional payment for a preferred placement, read the separate top up fees guide before agreeing who will pay.