New data reveals 1 in 3 care seekers in Northern Ireland unsure who will pay for care as costs continue to rise

The findings, released by leading reviews website carehome.co.uk, show that over a third (34%) of care seekers in Northern Ireland who made care enquiries between 1 November 2023 and 31 October 2024 were not sure who would fund their care – higher than the national average of 21%.

40% of people in Northern Ireland will be funding own care

The data from carehome.co.uk also reveals that 40% of care seekers in Northern Ireland are funding their care privately. This compares to over half in England (53%), 41% in Wales and 37% in Scotland.

Local authority funding and top up fees

In a further breakdown, Northern Ireland ranks lowest when it comes to relying on local authority funding. Only 8% said they would be turning to it, as opposed to 21% in Scotland, 13% in Wales and 12% in England.

With local authorities under increasing financial pressure, and care home costs soaring, more and more people are having to supplement available local authority funding with their own money.

Top up fees come into play when the chosen care home is too expensive for the council to pay in full, with the care seeker paying the difference between the total cost and the local authority funding. According to carehome.co.uk data, 14% of care seekers in Northern Ireland are expecting to pay an extra top up fee in addition to local authority funding.

Uncertainty continues for NHS continuing healthcare funding

Finally, only 5% of care seekers in Northern Ireland said they would benefit from NHS continuing healthcare funding, which is not means tested and fully covers social care costs for adults with long-term and ongoing complex health needs in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The assessment for NHS continuing healthcare, which seeks to determine how complex an individual’s needs are, has been criticised for being subjective and for leading to a postcode lottery for beneficiaries.

James Urquhart-Burton, partner at Ridley and Hall Solicitors, said: “Your chances of getting CHC Funding vary based on your location, which is a problem, given that the criteria is nationalised and is the same wherever you are.

“The problem lies in the fact that assessors will rely on their own judgment as to what constitutes needs which are intense, complex or unpredictable, and that is highly subjective.”

Sue Learner, editor of carehome.co.uk, the leading reviews site for care homes, said: “Our data shows there is an acute lack of understanding among the general public in Northern Ireland about how the social care system works and how to navigate it. It is incredibly concerning that a significant proportion of care seekers still don’t know who will pay for their care – will it be the council or themselves?

“With the average weekly cost of a care home in Northern Ireland for self-funders being £779, it is crucial people do their research and find out if they need to pay for their care. Especially considering care home fees are set to rise due to a hike in National Insurance for employers and an increase to the National Living Wage, coupled with higher energy bills and food prices.

“Care homes are able to charge self-funding residents more than state-funded residents so we will undoubtedly see the number of care homes accepting state-funded residents shrink as financial pressures force them to prioritise people who can pay for their own care.”