Money Box Live: Care costs, will you pay less?

One of the biggest financial questions facing families as they get older is: who pays for care if it's needed?

Costs can vary significantly depending on where you live. In England, the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham has promised a National Care Service which includes free personal care in the home. Personal care is already free at the point of use in Scotland, in Wales the cost is capped at £100 a week whilst in Northern Ireland it's means tested.

When home help isn't enough, the next move might be care home, and figures suggest that costs £67,496 per year on average in the UK according to the directory carehome.co.uk.

But who pays the bills and how do you find out what you're entitled to?

In this episode, Felicity Hannah will be looking at what the rules are now and how they might change, as well as taking questions around selling the family home and care annuities.

Joining the programme are Claire Rintoul, the CEO of Sheffcare, a charity which operates 9 care homes, Independent Financial Advisor Jonathan Rowley from the Society of Later Life Advisors, and Fiona Collie from the charity Carers Scotland.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Sarah Rogers
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior Editor: Sara Wadeson

(This episode was first broadcast at 3pm on Wednesday the 7th of October, 2026)