Can the council take my house to pay for care fees in the UK?
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In short: Not in the literal sense. The local authority means-tests your assets when you enter residential care. Above the upper capital limit (£23,250 in England) you pay in full; your home is included unless certain people still live there — such as your partner, a relative aged 60 or over, your child under 18, or a relative who is incapacitated.
Content updated:
If you receive care at home (not residential), the value of your home is always disregarded. Only other capital and income count.
On entering residential care, a 12-week property disregard normally applies at the start to give time to plan. After that, the home is counted unless a qualifying relative still lives there.
A 'Deferred Payment Agreement' lets you delay paying the home's contribution by securing it against the property — the council recovers the amount (with compound interest, capped at a national maximum — 4.65% a year from 1 July 2026) when the property is eventually sold, usually after death.
Primary source: gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-statutory-guidance/care-and-support-statutory-guidance
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