Caring for a loved one is one of the most demanding things a person can do. Whether you are supporting a parent with dementia, a partner recovering from a stroke, or a relative with a long-term health condition, the physical and emotional weight of caring can build quietly until it becomes unsustainable. Respite care exists to give you a proper break, and your loved one a change of scene, without either of you going without support.
This guide explains what respite care actually costs in 2026, who can fund it, how to request a local authority assessment, and what support families and carers in England are entitled to by law.
At Merling Care, we provide respite stays at both Glebe House in Staines and Moorland House in Barton-on-Sea. Whether you need a fortnight away, a period of recovery after a hospital admission, or simply a regular short break to keep your caring sustainable, we can help.
Respite care is short-term care provided to give an unpaid carer a planned break from their caring responsibilities. It can be delivered in a care home, in the person’s own home by a visiting carer, or through day centre attendance. It is available to both self-funders and those receiving local authority support.
Respite care serves a dual purpose. For the carer, it provides a break that protects their physical health, mental wellbeing, and ability to continue caring long-term. For the person being cared for, a well-run respite placement offers new activities, social contact, professional support, and in some cases, a chance to trial a care home before committing to a permanent move.
A short-term respite stay should never feel like a temporary measure reluctantly taken. At its best, it is genuinely enjoyable for the resident and genuinely restorative for the family.
Respite care in a care home is typically priced at a slight premium over equivalent permanent care, because the placement is short-term and requires additional administration around admissions and discharges. For 2025/26, average UK costs for privately funded respite are:
These are national averages. Costs in the South East of England, including Surrey and Hampshire where Merling Care’s homes are located, tend to sit toward the upper end of these ranges. The average annual cost of residential care in the South East is approximately £50,000, based on 2025 data from Hampshire County Council.
The exact weekly fee for a respite placement at Glebe House or Moorland House will depend on the level of care needed. Please contact us directly for current pricing.
Several factors influence how much a respite care placement costs:
Respite care can be funded in several ways, and sources can be combined. The main routes are:
Self-funding: If the person receiving care has capital above £23,250, they are expected to fund their own respite care. In practice, this means the weekly fee is paid directly by the individual or their family.
Local authority funding: If the person being cared for has capital below £23,250, their local authority may contribute to the cost of a respite placement. The same means test that applies to permanent residential care applies here. Capital between £14,250 and £23,250 results in a tariff income contribution of £1 per week for every £250 held above the lower limit.
NHS Continuing Healthcare: Where the person has complex, primarily health-related needs and qualifies for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC), the NHS funds the full cost of care, including respite. CHC is not means-tested. We cover CHC in detail in our guide: NHS Funding for Care Homes: FNC and CHC Explained.
NHS-Funded Nursing Care (FNC): If the person has been assessed as needing nursing care and is resident in a registered nursing home, the NHS contributes £267.68 per week from April 2026, regardless of means. This applies to respite placements in nursing homes as much as to permanent placements.
Carer’s assessment and direct payments: Under the Care Act 2014, unpaid carers have a legal right to a carer’s assessment. If the assessment identifies a need for respite, the local authority may fund or contribute to the cost. In some cases, direct payments are awarded, allowing the carer to arrange and pay for their chosen respite service. Most local authorities do not charge carers for support provided as a result of their carer’s assessment.
Charitable grants: Several charities provide one-off grants to help carers take a break, including the Carers Trust (respite grants of up to £300), the Respite Association, and Turn2us, a free tool that matches carers to grants based on personal circumstances.
A carer’s assessment is your legal right if you are providing unpaid care to another adult. Under the Care Act 2014, your local authority has a duty to carry out an assessment if it appears you may have needs for support, regardless of how many hours you care, whether you live with the person you care for, or whether they are already receiving local authority support.
The assessment looks at:
If you are found to have eligible needs, the local authority must provide support to meet them. This can include arranging a respite placement for your loved one, funding a sitting service to cover hours you need for yourself, or providing direct payments so you can choose your own respite arrangements.
To request a carer’s assessment, contact your local authority’s adult social care team. You do not need a GP referral.
Too many carers reach a crisis point before asking for an assessment. The Care Act was specifically designed to prevent this, placing carers on the same legal footing as the people they care for. An assessment is free, it is your right, and it is a reasonable thing to ask for.
When a person needs a respite placement and the local authority is considering a financial contribution, the means test follows the same rules as for permanent residential care:
Note that the 12-week property disregard, which applies when someone moves into permanent residential care, does not typically apply to respite stays, because these are planned short-term placements rather than a change of permanent residence. Property is therefore generally included in the means test from the outset for respite, unless one of the standard disregard rules applies.
From April 2026, the Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA) for local authority-funded care home residents is £31.80 per week, confirmed by the DHSC 2026/27 charging circular. This applies to respite residents receiving local authority-funded care in the same way as permanent residents.
In many cases, families use a respite stay as a trial period before deciding on permanent residential care. This is increasingly common, and it is a practical and sensible approach for both the person receiving care and the family.
A well-managed respite stay gives everyone a chance to assess:
Research from Lottie’s 2024 Care Seeker Survey found that older adults frequently use short-term respite as a bridge into permanent care. If you are thinking about this route for a loved one, it is worth asking care homes directly about how they support the transition from respite to permanent residency.
At Merling Care, our homes are intentionally small, which means residents settling in for a short stay quickly get to know our team and our routines. Both Glebe House and Moorland House welcome visitors at any stage, and we are always happy to show families around before committing to a placement.
Before confirming a respite placement, it is worth asking any care home the following:
Both Glebe House and Moorland House hold CQC ratings of Good. Our open-door approach means families are always welcome, and our teams are trained to settle short-stay residents as warmly as permanent ones.
At Merling Care, respite care is one of several care types we offer alongside residential, nursing, dementia, and palliative care. We are happy to discuss all aspects of a respite stay with you before you commit, including costs, what is included, and how we would support your loved one during their time with us.
Or get in touch online to arrange a visit or ask about availability.
Under the Care Act 2014, if a respite placement is arranged as a service to the person being cared for (which is almost always the case), the carer cannot be charged. The person receiving the care may be subject to a means-tested contribution based on their own financial assessment.
Potentially. Attendance Allowance and the care components of DLA and PIP may be suspended after 28 days in publicly funded care, including a respite placement. Short stays of less than 28 days typically do not affect these benefits. It is worth confirming this with the DWP before a placement begins if the stay is likely to extend beyond four weeks.
Generally not. The 12-week property disregard applies to permanent residential care placements. For short-term respite, property value is typically included in the means test from the outset, unless one of the standard property disregard rules applies, for example if a spouse continues to live in the property.
Yes. If a person qualifies for CHC based on their care needs, the funding covers all care costs including any respite placement. CHC is not means-tested. For more on CHC, see our guide: NHS Funding for Care Homes: FNC and CHC Explained.
If a carer’s assessment or care needs assessment has identified a need for respite and the local authority refuses to fund it, you can challenge the decision through the authority’s complaints process and, if necessary, escalate to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Carers UK provides free advice and advocacy for carers navigating this process.
This varies by home and by time of year. Popular homes in good locations can have limited short-term availability, particularly during summer. We recommend contacting homes at least four to six weeks before your intended start date, earlier if the stay involves nursing or specialist dementia care.