How Care Funding Works
In England, if your assessable assets exceed £23,250, you fund your own care in full. Between £14,250 and £23,250, you receive partial support. Below £14,250, the local authority funds care entirely.
Assessable assets include savings, investments, and in most cases, the value of your home. Average residential care in England costs approximately £1,200 per week (£62,400 per year).
💡 Your home is not counted if your spouse, civil partner, or a dependent relative still lives in it. Once both of you require care, it enters the assessment.
The Protective Property Trust
A Protective Property Trust (PPT) is written into your Will. On your death, instead of your share of the property passing to your spouse outright, it is held in trust for your children — with your spouse retaining the right to live there for life.
When your spouse later requires care, only their share is assessable — not the share held in trust. This can halve the property value subject to means-testing.
| Without PPT | With PPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Property value | £400,000 (sole ownership after first death) | £200,000 (survivor’s 50% only) |
| Assessable for care | £400,000 | £200,000 |
| Protected | Nothing | £200,000 |
What About Deliberate Deprivation?
Local authorities can investigate whether assets were deliberately disposed of to avoid care fees. Transactions close to entering care — or where the primary purpose was avoiding assessment — can be reversed. Trust planning done well in advance as part of a genuine estate plan is legal and widely accepted.
Protect Your Family Home from £69
A Will with a Protective Property Trust starts with a standard Will. Our estate planners advise whether a PPT is appropriate for your situation.
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