Home care prices in Newark
Our standard private rate is £31 an hour, or £17 for a 30 minute visit, with a flat £2.50 travel charge per visit. Home care is VAT-exempt, so that is the price you pay. For averages and what drives them, see our guide to how much home care costs in Newark.
Our standard private rates
| Rate | |
|---|---|
| One hour visit | £31 |
| 30 minute visit | £17 |
| Travel per visit | £2.50 (flat fee, not mileage-based) |
| Bank holidays | Premium rate, confirmed at quote stage |
| Christmas Day | Premium rate, confirmed at quote stage |
VAT. Home care of this kind is exempt from VAT under welfare services rules (Group 7, Schedule 9, Value Added Tax Act 1994). The prices above are the total prices you pay.
Overnight, live-in and complex care are quoted separately, because they vary with the person’s needs.
What our prices pay for
£31 an hour is what it costs us to run care to the standard behind our CQC Good rating. It covers:
- Carers who are directly employed by Helping at Home, not booked through an agency. Every carer is on our payroll, with the training and supervision that goes with it.
- Above-the-Living-Wage pay for our carers, including paid travel time and paid mileage between visits. Carers are not out of pocket for working rural rounds like Long Bennington or Collingham.
- Paid training and paid shadowing for every new carer, including the Care Certificate and annual mandatory training.
- A built-in scheduling buffer between visits, so carers have time to do each visit properly.
- Office-based support including a Registered Manager, a Deputy Manager, a Care Co-ordinator, supervision, complaints handling and on-call cover.
- Birdie, our family app, included as standard so you can see visit notes, medication records and the next week’s rota.
- CQC regulation costs, insurance, DBS checks, ID badges, uniforms and PPE.
How much will you need?
The answer depends on the person, not the provider.
Light support
One 30-minute visit a day — medication prompt and check-in
~£140–£150
per week
Standard support
Two one-hour visits a day — morning wash and dress, plus evening meal and medication
~£440–£470
per week
Substantial support
Four one-hour visits a day for significant needs at home
~£880–£920
per week
Overnight or live-in care
Quoted on request — often less than a residential care home
Speak to us
free assessment, no hard sell
These are guides, not quotes. The right support depends on routines, dignity, risk and what your Mum or Dad actually needs. We'll work that out together at your free assessment.
The four ways families fund home care
We accept all four, alone or in combination.
1. Self-funded (private)
You pay the full rate above, with full choice of provider and no eligibility process. Most people combine pension income, savings and benefits such as Attendance Allowance.
The council’s thresholds still matter. With capital under £14,250, the council pays the full assessed cost, subject to an income contribution. Between £14,250 and £23,250 there is a sliding contribution. Above £23,250, you self-fund entirely. For home care, the value of your main home is normally left out of the capital calculation. Residential care is treated differently.
2. Local Authority Direct Payment
Nottinghamshire County Council (or Lincolnshire County Council for Grantham area residents) assesses your needs and your finances. If you qualify, the Council can pay an agreed amount into your bank account each week. You use it to buy care from the provider you choose. This is called a Direct Payment.
The Council sets the hourly rate it will pay, which in Nottinghamshire is typically lower than our private rate. If your provider costs more, you or a family member top up the difference.
To start, call Nottinghamshire County Council Adult Social Care on 0300 500 80 80. In the Grantham area, call Lincolnshire County Council on 01522 782155. Our guides to local authority funding and Direct Payments go into more depth.
3. NHS Continuing Healthcare
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is fully NHS-funded care for adults with significant and ongoing health needs. If a person qualifies, the NHS funds the entire cost of care, at home or in a care home. The bar for eligibility is high. To start, ask the GP, district nurse or hospital discharge team about a CHC checklist assessment.
Top-ups to an agreed CHC package are not permitted under the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare. The NHS funds the assessed care in full. If it does not meet your family member’s needs, the route is to challenge the assessment. Families can still pay separately for things outside the assessed care, such as private hairdressing or social activities.
Our guide to NHS Continuing Healthcare covers the checklist, the full assessment and appeals.
4. Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is a tax-free, non means-tested benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions. It is for people of State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision due to a physical or mental disability. The 2026-27 rates (current from 7 April 2026) are:
| Rate | Per week | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Lower rate (day OR night care needs) | £76.70 | £3,988.40 |
| Higher rate (day AND night care needs, or terminal illness) | £114.60 | £5,959.20 |
It is paid as income into the recipient’s bank account, and families typically use it to part-fund private home care. To claim, complete form AA1 from GOV.UK or apply by phone on 0800 731 0122. Our guide to Attendance Allowance covers what counts as a care need on the form.
Home care vs a care home: the cost comparison
For higher-hours care a care home can be cheaper, but the gap is smaller than most people expect.
| Care option | Typical weekly cost in this area | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Light home care (3 to 5 hours/week) | £100 to £170 | Often combined with a family carer doing the rest. |
| Standard home care (14 hours/week) | £440 to £470 | Two visits a day, suitable for many older people living at home. |
| Substantial home care (28 hours/week) | £880 to £920 | Four visits a day, suitable for high-needs people who want to stay at home. |
| Live-in care | From £1,800 (from £2,250 for a couple) | One carer in the home full-time; an alternative to residential care. |
| Residential care home (Nottinghamshire) | Approximately £900 to £1,500+ | Includes accommodation, food and 24-hour cover. Local Authority funded rate is lower; self-funders often pay more. |
| Nursing home | Approximately £1,200 to £1,800+ | Higher cost because of registered nurse on site. |
These are indicative. Real costs vary by need, location and provider. Source figures from Nottinghamshire County Council, LaingBuisson and homecare.co.uk industry data.
Who decides what
Some of these decisions are ours and some are not.
| Decision | Who decides |
|---|---|
| Whether you qualify for Local Authority funded care | Your local council (Nottinghamshire CC or Lincolnshire CC), after a needs and financial assessment |
| The hourly rate the Council will pay | The Council |
| Whether you qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare | The NHS, via a CHC assessment |
| Whether you qualify for Attendance Allowance | The Department for Work and Pensions |
| Which care provider you use | You, including if you’re on a Direct Payment |
| Our hourly rate | Us (it’s the same for all clients, no negotiation) |
| What care you need | A conversation between you, your family and us at the assessment |
For council funding, use the council numbers above. For anything that might trigger a CHC assessment, speak to your GP.
What happens after you ask us about cost
- A short conversation by phone or email. We’ll ask what help you think is needed and which funding route you’re likely to use. No commitment.
- A free home assessment. Courtney, Megan or Charlotte visits and works out with you what care is needed, then gives you an hours estimate.
- A written care plan and price. The written quote shows weekly cost based on the agreed visit pattern, including the £2.50-per-visit travel charge.
- Funding route confirmed. If you’re self-funding, we agree a start date. On a Direct Payment, we coordinate with your social worker. If CHC is being assessed, we wait for the decision unless interim private cover is needed.
- Care starts and is reviewed. Care needs change, and so do prices, occasionally. We’ll give at least 28 days written notice of any price change.
Talk it through with someone local
- Call 01636 646915, 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday
- Email hello@helpingathome.co.uk
- Request a care assessment
After a hospital stay, our hospital discharge support page explains what to ask before discharge day, including the right time to trigger a CHC checklist.
