The cost of live-in care, explained

Between £1,050 and £1,400+ per week for one person, depending on the level of care. On PrimeCarers standard personal care is typically £1,120 a week with our fee included, starting from about £1,050, and complex or specialist care runs £1,260–£1,750. Traditional agencies typically charge £1,400+ for the same care.

On PrimeCarers, the rate on a carer’s profile is the rate you pay. It covers the carer’s pay, insurance we arrange for the carer on visits booked through PrimeCarers (within the policy’s terms, no clinical procedures), contracts, invoicing and payment handling, and checking the accepted criminal-record route, with renewal or rechecks as appropriate. There are no agency fees or subscriptions on top. You provide the carer’s room and meals.

Yes. A live-in carer shares meals with your loved one, so budget £5–£10 a day extra on the weekly shop. Beyond food, expect 55p a mile if they drive your loved one in their own car, and the cost of tickets when they accompany them to events. Agree these up front and there are no surprises.

About a fifth more than care for one, not double. One live-in carer looks after both partners for typically around £1,350 a week. That makes live-in care dramatically cheaper than a care home for couples, where two residents means two fees. Read the couples guide.

A live-in carer sleeps at night and gets up if needed, once or twice as part of the role. In an emergency they call 999. If your loved one needs someone awake and active through the night, add a waking-night carer at about £148 a night (a few nights a week or every night), or the live-in carer’s rest will suffer and the arrangement will break down.

For one person the totals land close together once you include household bills; for couples, live-in care is almost always significantly cheaper because a care home charges per resident. Compare the costs in detail with our calculator, which works it out on your own numbers, including how long your savings would last.

Cover some days yourselves (one family day a week saves ~14% of the monthly bill; covering the carer’s weeks off can save up to a third), agree a fair notice period so your carer has job security, look after them so they stay long-term, and claim the funding you’re entitled to: Attendance Allowance alone is worth up to about £115 a week and is not means-tested. The cheapest live-in care providers compares published weekly prices across the UK.

Often, yes. Attendance Allowance isn’t means-tested and most older people needing daily help qualify. Councils contribute after a care-needs assessment once savings fall below £23,250, and NHS Continuing Healthcare covers the full cost where needs are primarily health-based. Funding options explained.