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GrantEngland

NHS-Funded Nursing Care (England)

NHS integrated care boards (England)

At a glance

Who it's for
Individuals and households, including disabled people and carers in England. Full eligibility rules are below.
What you get
£267.68 a week (standard rate, from 1 April 2026), paid directly to the care home. £368.24 a week higher rate for some pre-October 2007 residents.
How to claim
There's no separate application.
Where
England
Deadline
No fixed deadline

Description

A flat weekly NHS payment towards the nursing part of care-home fees for people who live in a care home that provides nursing, need care from a registered nurse, and aren't eligible for full NHS continuing healthcare. The NHS pays it directly to the care home, so it should come off the resident's bill. It's paid at the same rate everywhere in England and regardless of whether the resident or the council funds the rest of the fees. The standard rate is £267.68 a week from 1 April 2026, which is close to £14,000 a year.

Amount

£267.68 a week (standard rate, from 1 April 2026), paid directly to the care home. £368.24 a week higher rate for some pre-October 2007 residents.

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

  • Available in: England.
  • Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
Notes
Verified Oct 2026 against nhs.uk's NHS-funded nursing care page. Rates from 1 April 2026: standard rate £267.68 a week (up 5.4% from £254.06). Higher rate £368.24 a week (up from £349.50), only for people who moved into a care home before 1 October 2007 and were on the previous high band; no new entrants can get the higher rate. Not means-tested. Check the payment is shown on the care home's invoice: self-funders sometimes don't realise the home should be deducting it. Scotland's nearest equivalent is the nursing care element of free personal and nursing care (separate entry), which is paid at a different rate.
Requirement
Living in a care home registered to provide nursing care, with an assessed need for care from a registered nurse, and not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. You should be considered for continuing healthcare first. Most people don't need a separate nursing care assessment, but the integrated care board can arrange one.

Want help with this application?

This one is usually simple enough to do yourself using the free official link below — but if you'd rather have help, we're building relationships with vetted professionals and can let you know if that becomes available.

Some of the organisations we may connect you with pay us a referral fee if you use their service. This never affects which listings you see in the directory. No live partner is confirmed yet for this listing.

You can also do this yourself for free via the official source

How to apply

There's no separate application. Eligibility is usually decided as part of the NHS continuing healthcare assessment. If you live in a nursing home and haven't been assessed, ask the care home, GP or integrated care board to arrange an assessment.

View official source

Last verified: 25 October 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.