Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) | Home care

At a glance

• Legal protection: The Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is a legally required amount under the Care Act 2014. It ensures that adults who receive home care arranged by local authorities in England have enough money for their daily living costs.
• Means-tested calculation: Local authorities calculate how much a person should pay through a financial assessment. They consider factors like age, household situation, and whether the person qualifies for disability or carer premiums.
• Different weekly amounts: MIG amounts vary depending on your age and circumstances. The rates are reviewed regularly, and this article includes the amounts for 2026/27.

What is Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG)?

The Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is the minimum amount of income you must be left with after your local authority works out how much you can afford to contribute towards your care and support. It is intended to leave you with money for everyday living costs.

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

They will also conduct a care needs assessment to plan the care and support you need.

Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is set by the Department of Health and Social Care and is reviewed on an annual basis.

If you have your care arranged by the local authority (rather than funding it privately or using a local authority-calculated Personal Budget), they will use the information they have gathered about your needs and your finances to calculate your Minimum Income Guarantee.

Who does Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) apply to?

Minimum Income Guarantee is for adults who receive care and support other than in a care home that is arranged by the local authority. Care home residents have Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA).

You may have your care arranged by the local authority if:

• You have been assessed by the local authority as needing care through a care needs assessment and as needing help with funding your care through a financial means assessment. In this case, it is their duty to arrange care for you.
• You have been assessed as lacking the mental capacity to make informed decisions.

How much is Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG)?

The amounts vary widely depending on your age and circumstances.

Depending on your circumstances, more than one amount may apply when your MIG is calculated. For example, if you are a single person of pension credit age, and you are eligible for both disability premium and enhanced disability premium, both amounts may be included when your MIG is calculated.

Your local authority will be able to explain exactly how much your MIG works out as for your circumstances.

The Minimum Income Guarantee amounts per week for the tax year 2026/27 are:

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)

If you are single

• You are of pension credit age or over: £241.45
• You are aged between 25 and pension credit age: £120.40
• You are aged 18-24: £95.40
• You receive or would be eligible for disability premium: £51.55
• You receive or would be eligible for enhanced disability premium: £25.15
• You receive or would be eligible for carer premium: £55.25

You are in a couple

• One or both of you are of pension credit age or over: £184.30
• One or both of you are aged 18 or over: £94.55
• One of you receives or would be eligible for disability premium: £36.75
• One of you receives or would be eligible for enhanced disability premium: £18.10
• One of you receives or would be eligible for carer premium: £55.25

How does MIG affect what I pay towards home care?

Your Minimum Income Guarantee is not a separate payment. It is an amount of income that your local authority must leave you with when calculating how much you can afford to contribute towards your care.

As part of your financial assessment, your local authority will also consider certain costs and expenses when working out your contribution.

• Your Minimum Income Guarantee
• Your housing costs – Rent, mortgage, council tax, building insurance, some bills such as water and gas. If you receive benefits to support you with these, the net amount will be disregarded at the discretion of the local authority.
• Disability Related Expenditure (DRE) – these are costs that are accrued on a regular basis due to your having a disability. You must show evidence such as receipts or invoices from the provider.
• Allowable expenses commitment – this can be any educational costs (provided that education is in your care and support plan) or an existing court order. It’s up to the local authority to decide what is an allowable expense. 

What can I spend Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) on?

Your Minimum Income Guarantee is there so you can still cover your daily living expenses, such as food, toiletries and utility bills that you aren’t receiving support for, like your phone and internet. 

However, there are no strict rules on what you can or can’t spend it on. It is essentially your money to spend on what you see fit.

Next steps

• Request a care needs assessment: Contact your local council to assess your daily support needs if you want to arrange council-funded home care.
• Undergo a financial assessment: Have the local authority review your income, savings, and assets to determine your contribution towards care and calculate your specific Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG).
• Track disability-related expenses: Keep receipts and invoices for any regular costs you incur because of a disability so they can be considered alongside your MIG during your financial assessment.

FAQs