Funding
Care can be funded by your local authority, by the NHS, from your own money, or by a combination. This page explains the main routes in England so you know what to expect before you speak to anyone.
Nothing here is specific to Ultimate Complex Care. Funding decisions are made by the relevant local authority or NHS body, not by us, and you should obtain individual advice about your own circumstances.
The main routes
Which route applies depends on assessment by the relevant authority. We cannot promise eligibility or funding approval.
Your council may contribute towards social care after a needs assessment and a financial assessment. What you pay depends on your income and capital.
Where someone has a primary health need, the NHS may fund the whole package. NHS Continuing Healthcare is not means-tested and is free at the point of use.
Where funding is agreed, it can often be taken as a Direct Payment or Personal Health Budget so you choose and arrange your own provider.
If your capital is above the threshold, or you would rather not go through an assessment, you can arrange and pay for care privately.
Local authority
Support from your council starts with a needs assessment, which is free and which anyone can ask for. It looks at what you struggle with day to day rather than at your diagnosis. If you are found eligible, a financial assessment then works out what you contribute.
In England for 2026/27 the upper capital limit is ÂŁ23,250, above which you are generally expected to meet the full cost of your care yourself, and the lower capital limit is ÂŁ14,250, below which your capital is not counted although your income still is. Between the two figures you contribute on a sliding scale. If your council agrees to fund support, ask whether you can take it as a Direct Payment.
NHS funding
NHS Continuing Healthcare is a package arranged and funded entirely by the NHS for adults with a primary health need. It is not means-tested: your income and savings are not considered. Eligibility is decided by an assessment of need, usually a Checklist first and then a full Decision Support Tool completed by a multidisciplinary team.
Where someone is eligible, the funding can often be taken as a Personal Health Budget, which works much like a Direct Payment. NHS-funded Nursing Care is different and narrower: it is a contribution towards registered nursing care in a nursing home, not a package of community support.
Arranging it yourself
Many people arrange care privately, either because their capital is above the threshold or because they would rather not wait for an assessment. You can do this at any point, and doing so does not prevent you asking your council or the NHS to assess you later.
We will not quote for a package we have not assessed, and we will tell you if what you need sits outside what we provide. Funding decisions rest with the relevant authority or NHS body, and you should obtain individual advice.
Make a referral
Tell us about the support required and our team will contact you to discuss the next steps.
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