Care Options Guide
Tell us about your situation and we will point you to the most relevant guides, checklists, and resources for care in the UK.
What best describes your situation?
About this tool — how it works
This tool asks you to choose the situation that best matches yours — planning ahead, needing care now, being a carer, needing help with funding, setting up power of attorney, or being unhappy with current care — and returns a numbered set of practical next steps for that situation, such as requesting a council care needs assessment, applying for a carer’s assessment, or registering a Lasting Power of Attorney. Each result also links to the guides, checklists, and comparison pages most relevant to those steps.
The steps reference some general figures that appear in the guidance — for example the capital threshold above which people usually self-fund care, the LPA registration fee per document, and the 35-hours-a-week test for Carer’s Allowance — but the tool does not apply these to your own finances or circumstances.
It does not carry out a care needs assessment, a financial assessment, or any other formal process; those are done by your local council or the Office of the Public Guardian. It cannot tell you whether someone is eligible for council-funded care, how much a care package would cost, or how long an application will take in your area. Use it to identify the right next step, then follow the linked guide or contact your council or Citizens Advice for the details.
Frequently asked questions
What situations does the care options guide cover?
Six: planning ahead for future care needs, someone needing care now, being a carer who needs support, needing help with care funding, setting up power of attorney, and being unhappy with current care. Choosing one shows a numbered action plan and a set of relevant guides.
Does the tool assess care needs or eligibility for funding?
No. It does not carry out a care needs assessment or a financial assessment itself — those are formal processes carried out by your local council. The tool tells you that these assessments exist and how to request them, and links to guides explaining how they work.
Where do the figures like the £23,250 threshold and the £82 LPA fee come from?
They are general background figures included in the step-by-step guidance — the capital threshold above which you usually self-fund care, and the Office of the Public Guardian’s registration fee per Lasting Power of Attorney. Check GOV.UK or your council for the current figures before relying on them.
What should I do if I am unhappy with someone’s current care?
The tool’s "unhappy with current care" option sets out the order to follow: raise it with the provider first, report safety or neglect concerns to the council’s safeguarding team immediately, and use the Care Quality Commission or the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if the provider or council does not resolve it.