The care funding threshold of £23,250 is the point at which the council usually starts helping with care costs. Hertfordshire County Council says that if someone receives care at home and has assets over £23,250, not counting the home they live in, they pay the full cost. Below it, the council works out a contribution.
To talk anything through with someone local, our Hitchin team is on 01462 534739.
You might be sitting with your mum or dad's bank statements, trying to work out whether a figure on a council page applies to them. It can feel like a test you are not sure how to pass, and money conversations with a parent are rarely easy. Worrying about cost is a sensible part of planning care, not a reason to put it off.
Funding is something we talk through with families often, and the rules for care at home are clearer than many families expect.
What does the £23,250 threshold actually mean?
It is the upper limit in the council's financial assessment, often called the means test. The NHS says that in England the council generally helps to pay for care if savings are less than £23,250.
In practice, for someone living at home in Hitchin, Walsworth or Ickleford:
- Over £23,250: they pay the full cost of their care, and are often called a self-funder.
- Under £23,250: Hertfordshire County Council works out how much they need to pay towards their care.
- Not sharing financial details: the council says the person pays the full cost.
Our guide to how the care means test works explains the full bands and how contributions are worked out.
What counts towards the £23,250 care funding threshold?
Savings and investments count, and the home your parent lives in does not. The NHS guide to the financial assessment lists what the council looks at:
- savings in bank and building society accounts, and ISAs
- property or land, including property overseas, other than the home they live in
- other assets and investments
The NHS says the council will not need to know about the value of possessions or life insurance policies. It also says income is looked at, such as pensions and benefits.
Is the house counted for care at home?
No. The NHS says that for care at home, or a short stay in a care home, the value of the house is not included. Hertfordshire County Council's wording is the same: for care at home, the £23,250 is assets excluding the property you live in.
That is often the biggest relief for families. Having help at home does not, on its own, put the family home into the sum.
What should you do as savings get close to £23,250?
Tell the council early. Hertfordshire County Council's advice for people paying for their own care asks you to let it know 4 months before savings drop under £23,250, so it can review the situation. The NHS suggests about 3 months as a general rule, but in Hertfordshire the council's 4 months is the one to follow.
A simple plan for the months ahead:
- Now: add up savings and investments, leaving out the house your parent lives in.
- Each month: note what care costs, so you can see roughly when savings will reach £23,250.
- Four months before: contact Hertfordshire County Council, or call HertsHelp on 0300 123 4044 for free advice.
- Alongside: ask for a free care needs assessment if your parent has not had one.
The NHS also says councils provide funding from the date you contact them, which is another reason not to wait.
What else is worth knowing?
- Assessments are free. The council says everyone has the right to a free social care assessment.
- Council care may look different. The council says that if you arranged care yourself and later ask for an assessment, it may not be able to continue the same level of care, because it assesses needs against its own criteria.
- Some benefits are not means-tested. The NHS says Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment are not means-tested and can be used towards care. Our article on whether Attendance Allowance is means-tested explains more.
- Giving money away will not help. The NHS warns that if the council thinks someone reduced their wealth on purpose, it might stop financial help.
- Finances are reviewed. The NHS says the council must reassess finances, usually once a year.
Hertfordshire County Council notes that a financial adviser can help you weigh up options, and that advisers charge a fee.
How Starling Homecare can help
Starling Homecare is a family run, CQC registered home care provider. Our visiting care, offered in St Albans, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Welwyn Hatfield, Potters Bar and Cheshunt, is priced per visit, not by the hour, from £34 a visit, with visits from 30 minutes. As an illustration only, one visit a day at our starting rate of £34 a visit is £238 a week. Every family receives a written quote before anything begins, which gives the real figure.
There are no long-term or fixed-term contracts, so care can change as needs and budgets change. On the first call, our priority is to understand what you are going through and what life looks like for your parent today. Usually the best next step is for us to come out for an informal chat, so we can answer your questions in more detail and meet your mum or dad.
From there, we propose a care plan with your involvement and theirs. Visiting care can include personal care, meals, medication prompting and support, help around the house and companionship, with overnight or live-in care later if it is ever needed.
Areas we cover
Starling Homecare's carers visit people at home in St Albans, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, Potters Bar and Cheshunt, and the villages around them. Elsewhere in Hertfordshire, including Berkhamsted, Tring, Radlett and Shenley, Hitchin and Hertford, we arrange live-in care.
If you are still working out what your parent needs, start with our guide for families worried about an elderly parent. Locally, here is how we arrange live-in care in Hitchin.
Frequently asked questions
Does the £23,250 limit include my mum's house if she has care at home?
No. The NHS says that for care at home, the value of the house is not included in the financial assessment. Hertfordshire County Council also says the £23,250 for care at home means assets excluding the property you live in. Savings, investments and any other property or land do count towards the figure.
When should I tell the council savings are running low?
Hertfordshire County Council asks to be told 4 months before savings drop under £23,250, so it can review the situation. The NHS gives about 3 months as a general guide, but in Hertfordshire the council's own 4 months is the one to follow. The NHS adds that councils fund care from the date you contact them.
Can we arrange home care in Hitchin while we sort out funding?
Yes. Care can be arranged privately while the council looks at your parent's situation. Starling Homecare's Hitchin team, on 01462 534739, can talk it through, come out for an informal chat and give a written quote. In Hitchin we arrange live-in care, from £255 a day, and there are no long-term contracts.
Money is one of the hardest parts of arranging care, and it is easier with someone who understands how it fits together. Our Hitchin team is on 01462 534739. You will be talking to someone who arranges care every day, so you can understand the costs before you decide anything.
Guidance checked on 26 October 2026 against Hertfordshire County Council and the NHS.
Arranging Care Is Simple
Starting care can feel like a big step. We keep it calm and straightforward, and we are here to guide you from your very first call.
1. Talk to us
Get in touch by phone or request a callback. We will listen, answer your questions and help you understand the options, so you can decide what feels right in your own time.
2. A home visit and initial consultation
We arrange a visit to understand your routines, your home and what matters most to you. Together we agree an initial consultation and shape the support that feels right.
3. Your care begins
A small, familiar team starts your care, arriving at the agreed times and staying involved as your needs change. We remain your trusted adviser throughout.
Whenever you are ready, we are here to help.