Can I get a state pension if I get home care?

If you’re wondering whether your pension is safe from care costs, ‘what happens to my pension if I get home care’ and ‘will home care affect pension’, here we explain what you need to know.

Key Points

• You continue to receive your State Pension while getting home care, but it is treated as income when assessing how much you must contribute to state-funded care.
• In 2026/27, the basic State Pension is £184.90 a week. The new State Pension is £241.30 a week.
• Home care funding rules vary across the UK, with means-testing in England and Northern Ireland, free personal care in Scotland, and a £100 weekly cap in Wales.
• Private pensions, benefits and contributions are considered in financial assessments.

Is my pension affected by home care?

You will still receive your State Pension even if you are receiving home care.

Your State Pension may be taken into account when determining how much you must pay towards state-funded care costs.  

It is considered as income when determining your contribution to home care fees if your care is state-funded (funded by local authorities, the NHS or Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland). 

How much is the State Pension in 2026?

How much is the basic State Pension?

For the 2026/27 tax year, the basic State Pension is £184.90 a week, if you reached pension age before April 2016.

The amount you get depends on your National Insurance record.

From April 2026, the pension rose by 4.8% in line with average wages.

How much is the full new State Pension?

In 2026/27, the new State Pension is £241.30 per week, if you reached pension age after April 2016.

The new State Pension was introduced in 2016 to replace the basic State Pension. How much you get depends on your National Insurance record.

The rise in pension is a result of the ‘triple lock’.

What is the triple lock?

Your pension is determined by the ‘triple lock’, which raises its value by whichever is highest: A) the level of earnings, B) inflation or C) 2.5%.

How much is home care in 2026?

Home care in the UK costs on average £26-£38 per hour.

• In England, you have to pay your own home care fees as a ‘self-funder’ if your capital is over £23,250. You qualify for financial support from the council and must pay a contribution from your income (such as pensions) if your capital is between £14,250 and £23,250.
• In Wales, local authorities can only charge people receiving home care a maximum of £100 per week. This is regardless of how much money they have in savings and what services they receive. A capital limit of £24,000 is applied regarding people’s savings and assets.
• In Scotland, everyone can receive free personal and nursing care, if they have been assessed by your local authority as needing it.
• In Northern Ireland, if you have over £23,250 in capital (savings, investments and property), you must meet the full cost of home care.  If you have between £23,250 and £14,250, you must pay a contribution towards your home care. If you have less than £14,250, you pay nothing towards home care.   

Are private pensions affected by care at home?

Private pensions will still be paid as normal even if you receive care at home.

However, it will be considered part of your income when calculating your contribution towards home care costs.

Your private pension may be included in the financial assessment for care funding.    

What is Minimum Income Guarantee?

Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is a weekly amount of your income which you must be allowed to keep to cover your daily living expenses, rather than it being spent on your home care, if it is arranged by a local authority in England or Wales.  

Under the Care Act 2014, care charges must not reduce people’s income below a certain amount and local authorities can allow people to keep more of their income if they wish.

It applies to adults who receive care and support (other than in a care home) that is arranged by the local authority.

If you have your care at home arranged by the local authority (rather than funding it privately), the local authority will use the information they have gathered about your finances to calculate your MIG.

To assess how much you should pay towards your care, local authorities conduct a financial means test which looks at your income, savings and any other capital and assets you have.

MIG differs from Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA) which is give to local-authority supported care home residents. 

How much is Minimum Income Guarantee?

For the 2026/27 tax year, the Minimum Income Guarantee per week

if you are single and:

• Of pension credit age or over: £241.45.
• Aged between 25+ and the pension credit age: £120.40.
• Aged 18-24: £95.40.
• Receive or would be eligible for disability premium: £51.55.
• Receive or would be eligible for enhanced disability premium: £25.15.
• Receive or would be eligible for carer premium: £55.25.
• Are a lone parent aged 18+: £116.80.

if you are in a couple and one or both of you are:

• Of pension credit age or over: £184.30.
• Aged 18+: £94.55.
• Receive or would be eligible for disability premium: £36.75.
• Receive or would be eligible for enhanced disability premium: £18.10.
• Receive or would be eligible for carer premium: £55.25.

if you have a child:

• You are responsible for a child and you live in the same house or flat as them: £106.85 per child (child premium).

What benefits are affected by receiving home care?

Some benefits or support you receive may be impacted by home care.

These include:

• Attendance Allowance: If you’re over State Pension age and have care needs, you may be eligible for Attendance Allowance. This is not means-tested and is unaffected by income or savings.
• Pension Credit: Pension Credit is means-tested. Your eligibility might change depending on the financial arrangements for your home care e.g. contributions from the local authority or other income.
• Local Authority Support and Financial Assessments: If your local council provides or helps fund your home care, they will carry out a financial assessment to determine what you can afford to contribute. While your pension is counted as income in this assessment, the amount you receive won’t change. How much you might pay towards care costs could be affected.
• Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction: These benefits could be impacted if your circumstances change significantly due to home care arrangements. For example, if someone moves in to care for you, it may affect how your local authority calculates your entitlement.

FAQs