The options
Ten ways to pay less for a few hours of care
Money you may be owed comes first, then the cheaper ways to pay for the hours. Prices are each provider's own published figures.
1.Attendance Allowance (GOV.UK)
Government benefit
- What it publishes
- A weekly benefit for people of State Pension age who need help or supervision because of illness or disability. It is not means-tested, so savings do not count. What you'll get (GOV.UK)
- Published price
- £76.70 a week (lower rate) or £114.60 a week (higher rate), as shown on GOV.UK on 19 October 2026.
- Suits
- Anyone of State Pension age who needs help at home. Even the lower rate pays for a few hours of care a week.
2.Your council's needs assessment
Council route
- What it publishes
- A free assessment by social services of what help someone needs, including help in the home. The council may then pay for some or all of it, depending on savings and income. England and Wales. Apply for a needs assessment (GOV.UK)
- Published price
- Free to ask. What you pay depends on the financial assessment.
- Suits
- Everyone, before paying privately. A family carer can ask for their own carer's assessment too.
3.Direct payments and a personal assistant
Council route
- What it publishes
- If the council assesses someone as needing care, it can pay the money to them so they can choose and buy the care themselves, for example by hiring a personal assistant. GOV.UK says you may become an employer if you do. Direct payments (GOV.UK)
- Published price
- The council sets the amount after the assessment.
- Suits
- People eligible for council support who want to choose their own carer.
4.PrimeCarers
Introductory service: you hire a self-employed carer
- What it publishes
- This site. Self-employed carers set their own hourly rate, shown on their profile, and you book them directly for as few or as many hours as you agree. Before a carer appears we check their ID, their right to work and an enhanced DBS (or PVG in Scotland, Access NI in Northern Ireland) issued within the last 2 years, and we interview them online. We do not verify references, qualifications or training, so ask the carer about those yourself. Hourly cost of care at home
- Published price
- £18 to £25 an hour, typically £19.47, fee included (PrimeCarers rates, October 2026). The hourly price already includes our standard fee (20% on visits under 6 hours); the carer keeps the rest.
- Suits
- Families who want to choose the carer and pay less than an agency for a few hours a day.
- Worth knowing
- We are weaker on cover. If the carer is ill or on holiday, you find someone else, and we cannot guarantee a replacement.
5.Curam
Both: an introductory service and a CQC-registered managed service
- What it publishes
- A platform of self-employed carers who set their own rates. Its FAQ says the minimum carers should charge is £15 an hour. How it works
- Published price
- An average of £20.50 an hour plus a 12% client fee, per its FAQ dated August 2025. Another page gives an average of £19.68 an hour, from £15 (seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Families who want to choose a self-employed carer and compare many rates.
6.Match with Care
Introductory service: you hire a self-employed carer
- What it publishes
- An introductory marketplace of self-employed carers for visiting and companion care. Its visiting care costs page
- Published price
- Visiting care typically £20 to £25 an hour, plus a 15% platform fee on your invoice (seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Families comfortable with a newer, smaller marketplace.
7.Elder
Introductory service: you hire a self-employed carer
- What it publishes
- Visiting care through self-employed carers, with carer profiles sent within 24 hours. Its visiting care page
- Published price
- Visiting care from £30 an hour (no date shown; seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Families who would rather be sent carers than search.
8.Small Good Stuff
Directory of providers
- What it publishes
- A free directory of over 2,000 small local care and support services across the UK, many run by one person. It says listings are not accredited or approved. About Small Good Stuff
- Published price
- Each service sets its own price.
- Suits
- Villages and small towns where a local micro-provider may be the only option.
9.A home care agency
CQC-registered managed agency
- What it publishes
- For comparison. An agency employs the carer, is responsible for finding cover when they are off, and is registered with the CQC. Helping Hands publishes its visiting care prices. Helping Hands visiting care costs
- Published price
- Helping Hands: from £32.40 an hour plus £4.50 a visit. Trinity Homecare: from £41 an hour. Bluebird Care offices set their own, for example £31.50 for a weekday hour in Nottingham. All seen 19 October 2026.
- Suits
- When you need guaranteed cover, or the council is arranging the care.
10.Charities: Age UK, Royal Voluntary Service, British Red Cross
Charity
- What it publishes
- The NHS homecare guide says most councils do not provide home help, and suggests contacting the Royal Voluntary Service, the British Red Cross or your local Age UK, noting that it may not be free. Homecare (NHS)
- Published price
- Free or low cost, depending on the local service.
- Suits
- Shopping, company and small jobs, rather than personal care.
Each provider’s own page was checked on 19 October 2026. Prices and services change, so confirm them with the provider before you rely on them.
How to choose
Keeping the cost of a few hours down
For a few hours a day, the hourly rate matters most, but so does the minimum visit and any charge per visit.
A self-employed carer is usually cheaper than an agency because there is no employer cost in the price. On PrimeCarers carers charge from £18 to £25 an hour, with our fee included. An agency costs more, but it finds cover when the carer is off. Some families mix the two: a self-employed carer for the regular hours, and an agency or a second carer for holidays.
Ways to pay less
- Claim Attendance Allowance before anything else
- Book fewer, longer visits rather than many short ones
- Ask a self-employed carer for a lower rate for visits of several hours
Watch for
- Per-visit charges and minimum visit lengths, which raise the hourly cost
- Fees added on top of a headline rate
- Hiring someone with no checks; ask to see their DBS certificate and right to work
Hourly cost of care at home compares carer and agency rates in more detail.
Questions
Questions about cheap hourly care
First check for help with the cost: Attendance Allowance is not means-tested, and a council needs assessment may lead to funding. To pay privately, a self-employed carer is usually cheaper than an agency. On PrimeCarers carers charge from £18 to £25 an hour with our fee included, against the lowest agency rates we found of £31.50 to £32.40 an hour (a Bluebird Care office and Helping Hands).
GOV.UK shows £76.70 a week at the lower rate and £114.60 a week at the higher rate. It is for people of State Pension age, it is not means-tested, and it can be spent on care. Apply on GOV.UK.
Usually. A self-employed carer sets their own rate and has no employer costs to cover. An agency charges more because it employs the carer and finds cover, but some families value that.
Possibly. Ask for a needs assessment. If the council agrees to fund care, you can ask for a direct payment and choose your own carer.