Many families across Surrey and the rest of Surrey pay for home care that could be part-funded, because the funding system is rarely explained to them. We go through the options with you, complete the forms together, and follow up until the decisions arrive.
Care funding in Surrey
Council funding, NHS Continuing Healthcare, Attendance Allowance and direct payments all exist, but each is administered by a different organisation and applied for on a lengthy form. We explain each route in plain English and complete the applications with you at no charge.
Start here
Almost every funding route in England begins with the same two assessments. Both are free, and we can support you through each of them.
Carried out by Surrey County Council, this looks at what day-to-day support your loved one actually needs: washing, dressing, meals, medication, staying safe. It is free, and anyone may request one regardless of income or savings. We help you request it, help you prepare, and can attend on the day so that a typical day is described accurately rather than optimistically.
If the needs assessment shows eligible needs, the council then carries out a means test to decide who pays what, looking at savings, income and capital (for home care, not the home you live in). It decides your contribution, if any. We help you gather and prepare the paperwork, including bank statements, pension letters and benefit awards, so nothing delays the outcome.
Our guide sets out what happens at a home care assessment.
The numbers
The first chart shows the weekly benefits that many families never claim. The second shows where the England savings thresholds fall.
Key benefits for older people and their carers: amounts per week, 2026/27 rates
2026/27 rates. Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance are not means-tested: savings and home ownership make no difference to eligibility.
How your savings and capital determine council support in England, 2026/27
England capital thresholds, 2026/27. For care in your own home, the value of your home is not counted. Only savings and other capital are assessed. Between the thresholds, a tariff income of £1/week per £250 of savings applies.
Your options
There are four principal ways in which care is paid for in England. Each is set out below, together with the help we provide.
If the Surrey County Council needs assessment finds eligible needs and the financial assessment shows savings below £23,250, the council contributes to, or fully funds, your care. We help you request both assessments, prepare for them, and can be in the room when they happen.
When needs are primarily health-driven, for example complex conditions or palliative care, the NHS can fund care in full, and it is not means-tested. We help complete the CHC checklist and prepare the evidence from our own care records. A fast-track route exists for end-of-life care, often decided within days.
Attendance Allowance is worth up to £114.60 a week, is not means-tested, and is available to people over State Pension age. The application form is long, and many people abandon it or understate their needs. We complete it with you, accurately and in full, alongside checks for Carer’s Allowance and Pension Credit.
Council funding does not oblige you to accept a council-chosen provider. Direct payments allow you to spend the council’s contribution on the provider you choose, including Aims. If you are self-funding, our home care pricing sets out the cost before care begins.
How we help
At your free care assessment we plan the care and identify every funding route that appears likely, from Attendance Allowance to NHS Continuing Healthcare.
We fill in the forms with you, gather the supporting evidence, request GP letters where they are needed, and ensure the level of need is described accurately.
We follow up with Surrey County Council, the DWP and the NHS so that applications are not left unattended, and we keep you informed at every stage.
Care does not have to wait for paperwork. Support can begin within 24 to 48 hours, and funding is applied once the decisions arrive.
We are care professionals, not independent financial advisers. We will help you claim the support the state provides and complete every form with you, free of charge. For complex estates, property decisions or care annuities you should take regulated advice, and we will refer you to a SOLLA-accredited (Society of Later Life Advisers) independent adviser. We receive no commission and no referral fee for doing so.
Families we have supported
"Nearly two years with Aims. They adapt to Mum's changing needs every time, and the staff's dedication shows."
"Smooth transitions between carers, and the manager is always attentive to what we need."
Rated 9.5/10 from 58 reviews. Read all our verified reviews on homecare.co.uk.
Funding questions
No. For home care, the value of the home you live in is not counted in the means test at all. Only savings and other capital are assessed against the thresholds. The home is only considered for residential care, and even then several exemptions apply (for example, if a spouse still lives there). This is the most common misconception we encounter, and it prevents families from claiming support to which they are entitled.
A refusal is not final. You can ask for the decision in writing, request a review, and reapply whenever needs change, which they frequently do. Non-means-tested support such as Attendance Allowance may still be available, and we will check every other route with you before you pay more than is necessary.
The standard route, checklist then full assessment, should conclude within 28 days, though in practice it can take longer. The fast-track pathway for people nearing the end of life is far quicker, often putting funding in place within 48 hours. We help complete the checklist, supply evidence from our care records, and chase the NHS team for you.
Yes. At the higher rate it is worth up to £5,959 a year, it is tax-free, and it is not means-tested: savings and home ownership make no difference. It can also unlock additional Pension Credit. The principal obstacle is the length of the form, which we complete with you.
Yes. With your permission we can be present at council needs assessments and CHC checklists. This is often valuable: older people frequently understate their needs to an assessor they have not met, and our carers’ daily notes provide the evidence assessors require.
Gather recent bank statements, pension and benefit award letters, a list of savings and investments, a repeat prescription list, GP and hospital letters, and any diagnosis paperwork. If items are missing, we will help you assemble the file. Nothing needs to be complete before you ask for help.
Sometimes. Attendance Allowance is paid from the date the claim is received (so start it sooner rather than later, since a phone claim protects the date). Council funding usually runs from the assessment decision, and CHC can in some cases be reviewed retrospectively. In practice it is best to apply early, and we will help you complete the application correctly the first time.
No. Guidance, form-filling, evidence-gathering and following up outcomes are all included from your free assessment onwards, whether or not funding is awarded, and there is no charge for any of it.
Local to you
Aims Homecare has helped Surrey families navigate care funding for more than 15 years, from our office on Kingston Road in Leatherhead. Whether you need Attendance Allowance help for a parent in Surrey, support requesting a care needs assessment from Surrey County Council, or guidance on NHS Continuing Healthcare after a hospital stay, our local team is familiar with both the process and the people who administer it. We support families paying for care in Surrey, and because the office is local, the person who helps with your forms is the person who answers the telephone.
Funding advice works best alongside a clear picture of costs, so start with our home care pricing and our guide to the cost of home care in Surrey. When comparing the options, home care is frequently the better-value route. Care homes typically cost £1,400 to £1,800+ per week per person, while hourly visiting care starts at £36.95 per hour and live-in care at £245 per full 24 hours (£1,715 per week). Every funding route described above is checked as part of a free, no-obligation assessment at your own home.