About Care Funding Check

Care Funding Check exists because navigating NHS Continuing Healthcare shouldn't require a law degree.

Every year, around 180,000 CHC referrals are made in England (NHS England figures). Many families are dealing with a loved one who has dementia, has had a stroke, or is living with a serious progressive condition. They're told their family member's needs are ‘social care’ — not health — and that they must pay privately. Care home fees averaging £67,000 a year drain savings and force property sales.

The rules around CHC are genuinely complex. The assessment process spans 12 care domains, applies a ‘primary health need’ test based on four legal characteristics, and is administered by 42 different Integrated Care Boards with wildly different approval rates. Families are expected to navigate this labyrinth at the most stressful time of their lives, often with no guidance beyond a 187-page government framework document.

We built Care Funding Check to fill that gap.

Our free eligibility guide walks you through the 12 care domains in plain English, using the official NHS Decision Support Tool levels, and gives you an honest, indicative result. Our in-depth guides explain how the process works, what evidence matters, and how to challenge a decision. Everything on the site is free to use.

We are an independent information service. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal, financial, or medical advice. The site is free and we do not currently sell any products or operate solicitor referrals. If we ever introduce paid products or referrals, any commercial arrangement will be clearly disclosed, and our editorial content will never be influenced by it.

We believe the CHC system, however imperfect, exists to protect people with serious health needs from bearing the full cost of their care. Our job is to help families understand and exercise that right.