Research
Original data analysis and insights from the CareHomeGuide team, using CQC inspection data to understand what really matters in care home quality.
June 2026
The Inheritance That Never Arrives: How Care Costs Are Quietly Destroying Middle-Class Wealth
A CareHomeGuide investigation into the hidden cost of an ageing population, frozen government thresholds, and a scrapped policy that would have protected millions of families.
144,000
Families currently self-funding care
£23,250
Capital threshold frozen since 2010
419%
Rise in care costs since 2000
May 2026
England's care homes are in better shape than you think
An analysis of 14,780 CQC-rated care homes reveals the patterns separating Outstanding from Inadequate. 98% of failing homes share two critical weaknesses — and they have nothing to do with funding.
14,780
Care homes analysed
100
Inspection reports reviewed
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