If you were living in a nursing home or a residential care home at 31 March 1993, you may be able to get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance to help meet the cost of the charge you have to pay. There are limits to the amount of Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance that you may get, depending on the type of accommodation you are living in, and what sort of care you are getting there. If you are elderly and blind, or entitled to the higher rate of Attendance Allowance, you may be able to get a special limit. You can also get a personal expenses allowance

If you get Attendance Allowance while you are living in a residential care or nursing home, the amount of Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance you get will be reduced by the full amount of the allowance

If you need personal care, your local authority will assess what care you need and may help meet the cost. If you go into a residential care home or nursing home your Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance will include a Residential Allowance to help with your accommodation costs.

If you are getting Attendance Allowance or the care component of Disability Living Allowance when you go into a home it will be withdrawn after 4 weeks if you are resident in a home owned and/or managed by a local authority, or if you are receiving financial help from your local authority.

Depending on the circumstances of your admission to residential care Attendance Allowance/Disability Living Allowance may be withdrawn after 4 weeks if you receive Income Support or Housing Benefit.

Residential and nursing care The care assessment may result in a decision to provide residential accommodation in residential care home or nursing home. If so, the local authority will either provide a place in one of its own homes or contract with and independent (private or voluntary) home to provide a place. Local authorities must make sure that people have a genuine choice of which home they are placed in and that it is suitable for their needs. When an authority places someone in a home , it assesses on a means-tested basis the ability of the resident to contribute to the cost. Most income and capital, above appropriate levels, is taken into account when arriving at the amount you should contribute. CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION

People already living in residential care or nursing homes when the new community care arrangements were introduced will not be affected.

Nursing Care Guide
The Nursing Care Guide is an informative, user-friendly site dedicated to help you through an often difficult and confusing time when looking for a care home for yourself or a loved one.  

More information

For more details ask at your social security office for leaflet IS50-(Income Support-help if you live in a residential care home or nursing home.

Going into Hospital
see page "Going into Hospital"
Most social security benefits are paid to help with your ordinary needs at home, or special needs caused by your disability. When you , or your partner or child, are in hospital some of these needs are met by the National Health Service, so your benefit may go down or stop. But if you are paying the whole cost of accommodation and non-medical services in hospital, your social security benefits are not affected (except for Invalid Care Allowance, Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance).

Always tell your social security office at once if you or your partner or child, go into hospital. As soon as the hospital tells you the date that you (or they) will come out, you must tell your social security office. Your social security office can then make sure that you get the right amount of benefit.

Also tell your social security office if you (or your partner or child) are allowed home, even if it is only for a few days. The full rate of benefit can be paid for the days a person is at home , even if it goes down while he or she is in hospital.

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