How Much Does 24-Hour Care at Home Cost in the UK?

24-hour home care in the UK costs between £1,200 and £2,200 per week in 2026, depending on the care model, the level of clinical support required, and your location. Full waking 24-hour care, where the carer remains alert and active throughout the night, costs between £1,800 and £2,200 per week. Two-carer or nurse-led packages for high-dependency clients can exceed £2,000 per week.

The term “24-hour home care” covers three distinct delivery models, and the model you choose directly determines the weekly cost. A single live-in carer provides continuous daytime support and remains on site overnight with designated rest hours. Shift-based care uses a rotating roster of carers working fixed 8- or 12-hour shifts to guarantee hands-on coverage at all hours. Shift-based care costs more than live-in care because the provider must staff, coordinate, and pay multiple carers per day. Families whose loved ones need frequent night-time assistance, regular repositioning, or clinical monitoring are typically directed toward shift-based care rather than a single live-in arrangement.

Quick Takeaway

• Weekly cost range: 24-hour home care in the UK costs between £1,200 and £2,500 per week, depending on care model, night cover type, and location.
• Three care models: Live-in sleeping-night care is the most affordable. Live-in with waking-night cover costs more. Shift-based care is the highest-cost model.
• Cost drivers: Clinical complexity, single versus two-carer arrangements, night cover type, location, and provider model each affect the weekly rate.
• Funding routes: Local authority funding, NHS Continuing Healthcare, Attendance Allowance, direct payments, and equity release can all reduce out-of-pocket costs.
• Always compare: Request written quotes from at least three CQC-registered providers and confirm what is included in the weekly rate, including weekend surcharges and emergency cover.

What Is 24-Hour Home Care?

24-hour home care is professionally managed support delivered continuously inside a person’s home, covering both daytime and overnight periods without a break in coverage. 24-hour home care is most commonly arranged for people with advanced dementia, complex mobility needs, post-surgical recovery requirements, or progressive neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease.

The Homecare Association recommends a minimum rate of £32.14 per hour for compliant care in England for 2025/26. This benchmark helps you assess whether a provider’s quoted rate covers properly trained, vetted, and insured staff.

24-hour home care is delivered through two main models. Live-in care places a single carer in the person’s home to provide daytime support with an agreed rest period overnight. Shift-based care rotates multiple carers through fixed timetabled shifts to provide continuous, hands-on coverage at all hours. Each model suits a different level of clinical need, and each carries a different weekly cost.

What Does 24-Hour Home Care Include?

A fully managed 24-hour home care package typically includes all of the following support across the day and night:

• Personal care, including bathing, dressing, and toileting
• Meal preparation, cooking, and hydration support
• Medication prompts or administration
• Mobility support and safe transfers
• Light household tasks such as laundry and tidying
• Companionship and emotional support
• Overnight monitoring or waking-night assistance, depending on the model
• Emergency response and out-of-hours cover arrangements

Fully managed agencies include holiday cover, sickness cover, and emergency replacement carers within the weekly rate. Introductory agencies match you with a self-employed carer but leave cover arrangements and employment responsibilities with your household. Always confirm what is and is not included in the quoted weekly rate before signing a care contract.

How Much Does Live-In 24-Hour Care Cost?

Live-in 24-hour care costs between £1,200 and £1,800 per week in the UK in 2026 for a standard single-carer arrangement with a sleeping-night provision. Standard live-in care covers full daytime support, with the carer resting overnight but remaining available to respond if the person needs assistance.

For individuals who require active care throughout the night, the weekly rate rises to £1,800 to £2,200 per week. Packages involving two carers working overlapping shifts, or those incorporating registered nursing input, typically exceed £2,000 per week. For couples where both partners need support, a single live-in carer can often assist both individuals, making live-in care more cost-effective than two separate care packages.

How Much Does Shift-Based 24-Hour Care Cost?

Shift-based 24-hour care costs between £1,800 and £2,500 per week in the UK in 2026, depending on shift length, staffing levels, and whether clinical carers or registered nurses are included. Shift-based care differs from live-in care in that no single carer is permanently resident in the home.

Carers in a shift-based arrangement arrive and depart on a fixed schedule, with handovers between each shift adding coordination and administration costs to the weekly total. When the care package requires two carers per shift for double-handed transfers or complex clinical tasks, the weekly total rises significantly above the standard range.

What Is the Difference Between Live-In Care and Shift-Based 24-Hour Care?

The key difference between live-in care and shift-based 24-hour care is how overnight coverage is structured, and this directly determines the weekly cost. Three arrangements are available in the UK, each suited to a different level of need.

Live-In Care with a Sleeping-Night Arrangement

Live-in care with a sleeping-night arrangement is the standard live-in model. A single carer lives in the home, provides full daytime support, and rests overnight while remaining available to respond when needed. This model costs between £1,200 and £1,800 per week and suits people who need consistent daytime support with occasional overnight assistance.

Live-In Care with a Waking-Night Add-On

Live-in care with a waking-night add-on uses the same live-in model for daytime hours, but a separate waking night carer attends for the overnight period so the live-in carer can rest fully. This arrangement is used when the person needs frequent or complex overnight support. Adding a dedicated waking-night carer to a live-in package typically increases the weekly total by several hundred pounds above the standard live-in rate.

Shift-Based 24-Hour Care

Shift-based 24-hour care rotates multiple carers through fixed shifts around the clock with no resident carer in the home. Shift-based care is the highest-cost model, running between £1,800 and £2,500 per week, and is reserved for people with active clinical needs at all hours or those requiring two carers for safe transfers throughout the day and night.

Choosing between these three structures is the most important cost decision in planning 24-hour home care. A formal care needs assessment helps identify which model is clinically appropriate for your loved one and avoids paying for a higher level of staffing than their needs require.

Is 24-hour home care cheaper than a care home?

24-hour home care is often comparable in cost to residential care home fees, and in some circumstances it is more cost-effective. Care home fees in the UK typically range from £1,000 to £1,800 per week, depending on location, room type, and the level of specialist support provided. Care home fees cover one person only, so a couple would face double these costs in a residential setting.

Live-in 24-hour care at home, by contrast, can support both partners for a single weekly rate that is only marginally higher than a single-person live-in package. For families weighing up home care against a care home, this distinction is significant. Home care also provides one-to-one support, continuity with a named carer, and the person remains in familiar surroundings with their own routines.

How Does 24-Hour Home Care Compare to Hourly Care?

Hourly visiting care in the UK typically costs between £26 and £40 per hour, depending on location and the complexity of care required. Hourly care suits people who need a few hours of support each day. 24-hour home care, by comparison, provides continuous coverage and is the appropriate model when the person needs support across day and night periods.

If your loved one currently receives several hourly visits per day and those visits are no longer meeting their needs, a care needs assessment will confirm whether 24-hour care is the clinically appropriate next step. Transitioning from hourly care to 24-hour care involves a new assessment, a revised care plan, and in most cases a fully managed provider handover.

What Factors Affect 24-Hour Home Care Costs?

Five main factors determine the weekly cost of 24-hour home care in the UK. Understanding these five factors helps you compare provider quotes accurately and plan for changes in cost as your loved one’s needs develop over time.

1. Level of Care and Clinical Complexity

The level of care required is the single biggest driver of cost in 24-hour home care. A person who needs companionship and light personal care sits at the lower end of the weekly rate. A person with complex conditions such as advanced dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or clinical needs such as PEG feeding or syringe driver management requires carers with specialist training and, in some cases, registered nursing input. Registered nurses command significantly higher hourly rates than standard care workers, and including nursing visits within a 24-hour package can push the weekly total well above the standard live-in range.

2. Single Carer Versus Two-Carer Arrangements

A single live-in carer is the most cost-effective structure for 24-hour home care. When a person requires two carers for safe transfers or heavy personal care tasks, the staffing cost typically doubles. Two-carer packages require double the daily staffing hours, double the payroll administration, and additional handover time. Families managing high-dependency clients should plan for the two-carer requirement from the outset, as restructuring mid-package involves delays and additional assessment costs.

3. Night-Time Care Type

The type of night cover required has a measurable impact on the weekly total. A sleeping-night arrangement within a live-in package is included in most providers’ standard weekly rate. A waking-night arrangement is either charged as an addition to the weekly rate or structured as a separate shift. Adding a dedicated waking-night carer to a live-in package typically adds several hundred pounds to the weekly cost. UK law limits average night work to no more than 8 hours in any 24-hour period for night workers, which affects how providers structure overnight shifts and calculate pay.

4. Location

The location of care has a direct impact on what providers charge. London and the South East consistently attract the highest rates in the UK, driven by the London Living Wage and higher agency operating costs. In East London boroughs such as Havering, Barking, and Dagenham, overnight care rates typically range from £190 to £230 per night for a sleeping-night shift. The Midlands and North of England offer more affordable rates while still providing access to CQC-registered providers. Request written quotes from at least three local providers before committing to a care package.

5. Provider Model and Carer Qualifications

A fully managed agency employs the carer directly and handles payroll, training, supervision, emergency cover, and holiday replacement. An introductory agency matches families with self-employed carers and leaves employment responsibilities largely with the household. Fully managed agencies charge higher weekly rates, but the additional cost covers regulatory compliance, training standards, and continuity of care arrangements that protect the person receiving support. Always confirm that any provider is CQC-registered and can provide documented competency assessments for every carer placed.

6. Weekend and Bank Holiday Surcharges

Many providers apply surcharges for care delivered on weekends or UK bank holidays. These surcharges are applied to the carers’ pay in line with employment law obligations and are passed through to the weekly rate. When comparing quotes from providers, ask each one to confirm their weekend and bank holiday rate policy in writing. A package that appears affordable at a standard weekly rate can cost significantly more across a full calendar year when surcharges are accounted for.

7. VAT and Hidden Charges

CQC-registered home care providers are exempt from VAT on regulated care services, meaning the rate you are quoted should be the rate you pay for the core care package. Confirm this in writing with any provider you are considering. Additional services such as specialist equipment, transport, or supplementary professional visits may carry separate charges. Ask for a full written breakdown of all fees before signing a contract.

How to Fund 24-Hour Home Care

24-hour home care in the UK can be funded through local authority contributions, NHS pathways, government benefits, or personal finances. Starting the funding assessment process early gives your family the best chance of accessing support before costs become difficult to manage.

1. Local Authority Funding

Local authority funding is available in England to those whose assets fall below the upper capital threshold of £23,250. A care needs assessment, followed by a financial assessment, determines whether the person qualifies for full or partial council funding. Those with assets below £14,250 typically qualify for fully funded care. Those between the two thresholds contribute proportionally based on their capital.

In Wales, the upper capital threshold for home care is £24,000. In Scotland, personal care is provided free of charge following a qualifying needs assessment, regardless of assets.

2. NHS Continuing Healthcare

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) fully funds care for individuals assessed as having a primary health need. A primary health need means care requirements are driven primarily by a health condition rather than personal or social needs. CHC is not automatically awarded and is assessed individually by the NHS using a structured decision support tool. Those with significant, unpredictable, or complex health needs are more likely to meet the CHC criteria.

Read the full guide to NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) to understand the eligibility process and how to request an assessment.

3. Attendance Allowance and Benefits

Attendance Allowance is a non-means-tested benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care due to a health condition. In 2025/26, the higher rate is £114.60 per week and does not depend on savings or income. Carer’s Allowance is available to unpaid family carers who provide at least 35 hours of care per week. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is the equivalent benefit for those under State Pension age. These benefits do not cover the full cost of 24-hour care but reduce the net weekly outlay when combined with other funding sources.

4. Direct Payments

Direct payments are offered to those who qualify for local authority funding and want to choose their own care provider. The council transfers the funding directly to the individual or their family, giving full control over which provider and carer is engaged. Direct payments are particularly useful for families who have already identified a preferred provider or who want to maintain consistency in the carer assigned to their loved one. The council sets the payment amount based on the assessed level of need and local authority standard care rates.

5. Self-Funding

Self-funding is the route taken by families whose assets exceed the local authority threshold. Common sources include savings, pensions, investments, and property equity release. Equity release allows homeowners to access cash tied up in their property without selling it, but equity release carries long-term financial implications and should only be considered after taking independent, regulated financial advice. Some life insurance policies include a terminal illness or long-term care conversion clause, allowing access to part of the death benefit early to cover care costs.

How to Arrange 24-Hour Home Care

To arrange 24-hour home care for your loved one, follow these six steps in order. Starting with a formal needs assessment ensures the care package is matched to the correct model and avoids paying for a level of staffing that is not clinically required.

1. Request a care needs assessment from the local authority to determine the level and type of support required and establish eligibility for council funding.
2. Request a financial assessment at the same time to confirm whether the person qualifies for full or partial council funding based on their savings and assets.
3. Apply for a CHC assessment if your loved one has significant health needs by submitting the checklist request to the NHS Integrated Care Board covering your area.
4. Request written quotes from at least three CQC-registered providers, asking each to specify the care model, staffing ratios, night cover type, weekend surcharges, and any supplementary charges for bank holidays.
5. Confirm DBS checks, training records, and emergency cover arrangements for each provider before signing a contract.
6. Review the care plan at regular intervals, as care needs change over time and the weekly cost should reflect the current level of support required.

Conclusion

24-hour home care in the UK in 2026 costs between £1,200 and £2,200 per week, depending on the care model, clinical complexity, night-time care type, and location. Sleeping-night care within a live-in arrangement costs approximately £100 to £210 per night. Waking-night care costs between £250 and £260 per night.

Funding routes, including local authority support, NHS Continuing Healthcare, Attendance Allowance, direct payments, and life insurance conversion, can all reduce the financial burden on your family. Arranging care needs assessments early and comparing detailed written quotes from CQC-registered providers are the most effective steps families can take to manage costs and protect the quality of care their loved one receives.

HTR Care provides fully managed 24-hour home care across Greater London and the surrounding areas, with packages tailored to the individual’s clinical needs, personal routines, and family preferences. Every care plan is supported by trained, DBS-checked carers, transparent pricing, and no hidden charges. To request a free needs assessment and a personalised 24-hour care estimate, contact HTR Care today.