Understanding & Paying for Care, Without the Jargon
Arranging care for someone you love usually starts with a hundred questions. These plain-English guides answer the big ones — what help exists, who pays, and what to do first.
Nobody plans to become an expert in care funding — it tends to arrive all at once, at a stressful time. The system is more generous than most families expect, but only if you know what to ask for. Each guide below takes one piece of the puzzle and explains it the way we would across a kitchen table: what it is, whether it applies to you, and exactly what to do next.
Rather just talk it through? You don't need to read a word of this — call us for a chat and we'll point you in the right direction, with no pressure and no obligation. Our advice is free whether or not you ever use our care.
The Guides
Attendance Allowance
The tax-free benefit most families never claim — over £100 a week for many, with no means test. Who qualifies and how to apply.
Read the guide →The Council Needs Assessment
Everyone is entitled to one, it's free, and it's the gateway to council help — including how it works with Brighton & Hove and West Sussex councils.
Read the guide →Who Pays? The Means Test Explained
Savings thresholds, what counts and what doesn't — including why your home is ignored when care happens in it.
Read the guide →NHS Continuing Healthcare
Care fully funded by the NHS when needs are primarily health-based — the least understood funding route of all.
Read the guide →Support for Family Carers
Carer's Allowance, the carer's assessment, and respite — because looking after the person looking after matters too.
Read the guide →Power of Attorney & Planning Ahead
Why setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney early saves enormous heartache later, and how to do it online.
Read the guide →How to Talk to Mum or Dad About Care
The hardest conversation in this whole process — how to start it gently, and what tends to help.
Read the guide →What CQC Ratings Mean
How England's care regulator inspects and rates providers, and how to check any company — including us.
Read the guide →Not sure which guide you need?
Tell us what's going on and we'll do the thinking with you. Free, friendly and honest — that's the whole point of us.