Care Means Test Checker (England)
How it works
The test counts capital (savings, investments, second properties) plus income (pensions, benefits). The home is excluded if a spouse, dependent under-18, or relative over 60 still lives there. Pensions in drawdown count; pension pots untouched do not. The council leaves you a Personal Expenses Allowance of £30.65/week.
Worked example
Widow with £30,000 savings + £18,000 income, no spouse at home, going into care. Capital £30k − £23,250 threshold leaves £6,750 over → full self-funding for now. Once savings drop to £23,250, council steps in and tariff income kicks in.
Who should use this
- •Anyone approaching care
- •Couples checking impact of one partner going into care
- •Self-funders projecting when council help will kick in
- •Children helping parents plan
Common mistakes
- ×Gifting money to qualify — councils apply 'deliberate deprivation' rules
- ×Forgetting the home disregard for spouses still living in it
- ×Including untouched pension pots in capital (they're excluded)
- ×Not asking for a needs assessment alongside the financial assessment
Frequently asked questions
Is my pension income counted?▾
Yes — all pension income contributes after the Personal Expenses Allowance.
Will the council take my house?▾
Not if a qualifying relative lives there. Otherwise it counts after 12 weeks (12-week property disregard).
What about top-ups?▾
Family can pay 'third-party top-ups' for a more expensive room than the council rate, but the resident cannot top up themselves.