Paying for home care in West Sussex — 2026/27 thresholds explained

Common myths about paying for home care

Few subjects cause more anxiety for families approaching home care for the first time than money. Will the council pay? Will we have to sell the house? Is there a cap? What if savings run out? In this article we set out, in plain English, exactly how home care funding works in West Sussex in the 2026/27 financial year, and where families in Chichester, Bognor Regis and the surrounding villages can turn for trusted advice.

The headline figures for 2026/27

In England, home care is means-tested. The upper capital threshold remains £23,250 and the lower threshold remains £14,250. The proposed £86,000 lifetime care cost cap, announced in 2021 and pushed back several times, has been scrapped under the current government. In practical terms that means:

•     If your capital (savings and certain assets) is below £14,250, West Sussex County Council will normally fund eligible care that meets your assessed needs. You may still contribute from income.

•     Between £14,250 and £23,250, the council will fund part of your care and you will contribute the remainder — the precise split is calculated through a financial assessment.

•     Above £23,250, you will usually be expected to self-fund. You can still ask the council to arrange your care and pay them back; this is sometimes useful for accessing provider rates.

For home care (as opposed to residential care), the value of your home is not taken into account in the means test, provided you continue to live there

Once a needs assessment has confirmed that you have eligible care needs, West Sussex County Council carries out a financial assessment. This looks at income (including most pensions and benefits), savings, investments and certain other capital. Some income is disregarded — for example, a proportion of Attendance Allowance, and a fixed personal allowance to meet day-to-day living costs.

The output of the assessment is a personal budget. This is the amount the council considers reasonable to meet your assessed needs. You can take this as a direct payment and arrange your own care with a provider of your choosing, or ask the council to arrange care on your behalf.

What home care actually costs

Costs vary by provider, by the complexity of care required, and by whether visits are short or extended. As a guide, a typical hour of visiting care from a CQC-registered provider in West Sussex in 2026 sits between £30 and £40. Live-in care is priced as a weekly fee and starts at around £1,400 per week, depending on care needs. These figures should be treated as indicative; we will always provide a written quote based on your individual Care and Support Plan.