NHS Funded Nursing Care

This guide covers England. Other UK nations have different nursing-care funding arrangements. Sources and rates checked on 19 September 2026.

What does FNC pay for?

The NHS pays the nursing home a contribution for care delivered by registered nurses. It does not fund the whole placement. Accommodation and other care costs still need to be paid by you, the council or another agreed funding arrangement.

The standard rate from 1 April 2026 is £267.68 a week. A separate higher rate of £368.24 applies to qualifying residents who remain eligible under the pre-October 2007 high-band arrangements.

DHSC: nursing-care rates for 2026/27

Who qualifies?

You must live in a nursing home and have an assessed need for registered nursing care. NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) eligibility should be considered before the FNC decision. If CHC funds your care, FNC is not paid as a separate additional contribution.

A nursing-home address or a dementia diagnosis alone does not establish eligibility. A home may accommodate people with different needs. FNC is not means-tested.

NHS: eligibility and assessments

How to request a decision

1. Ask the home or your local integrated care board (ICB) whether CHC eligibility and nursing needs have been assessed.
2. If an assessment is needed, ask the ICB to arrange it. A previous CHC assessment may provide enough information without a separate nursing assessment.
3. Request the eligibility decision and funding start date in writing. If an earlier period needs to be considered, ask the ICB to explain its decision; funding is not automatically backdated to admission.
4. If you disagree with an FNC eligibility decision, ask the ICB for a review.

DHSC: FNC practice guidance

Will my bill fall by £267.68?

Check the written contract and fee breakdown. Some quoted fees already exclude the NHS contribution. An FNC award does not necessarily mean a further £267.68 reduction from the amount you have been quoted.

Ask the home to explain the total fee, the NHS contribution and your share, including what happens if funding starts, changes or stops. Keep the written explanation with your contract and question any charges you cannot reconcile.

DHSC: how NHS funding and the remaining fee fit together; CMA: clear fees and consumer rights.

How does CHC differ?

CHC funds an agreed package of assessed health and social care needs for people found to have a primary health need. Where that package is provided in a care home, it includes accommodation. It is not means-tested.

The assessment considers the nature, intensity, complexity and unpredictability of needs, including how they interact. Eligibility is not based on one diagnosis. If needs change, ask the care team whether a new CHC assessment is appropriate.

NHS: Continuing Healthcare and reviews

What about benefits?

FNC is paid to the home, rather than as income into your bank account. Other benefits have their own rules, including rules about who pays the rest of your care costs. Ask the relevant benefits office about your circumstances when funding changes, rather than assuming all benefits will continue unchanged.

GOV.UK: Attendance Allowance in a care home