What is the Care Home Fees Trap?

JUNE 2025

In the 1980s and early 1990s no one worried about care fees. They were usually affordable and paid out of income, such as from a person’s state pension and any benefit entitlement and private pension. Sadly, all this changed around the time of the millennium and since 2000, according to the Daily Express (Sep19th 2019), as many as 330,000 people have been forced to sell their homes to pay for their care fees.

Given that the average cost of residential care in the Yorkshire area is around £1,400 PER WEEK this sum cannot be paid from the average person’s income anymore and must be paid out of capital - and that means that almost the entire value of the family home can be at risk of having to be sold to pay for a loved one’s care fees. This is what is meant by The Care Home Fees Trap.

Boris Johnson’s plan to reform care fees by implementing a cap of around £85,000 has been well and truly kicked into the long-grass and will not be implemented by the new Labour Government, elected in July 2024.

FORTUNATELY however straight forward and affordable action can be taken NOW to protect your family home for your children and grandchildren.

If you or your parents own your own home, you should be aware of the Care Home Fees Trap and the upset that it causes if the family home has to be sold to pay for residential care fees.

As a solicitor for over 30 years, I have regretfully seen at first hand the devastating consequences of the care trap.

This may be because the husband and wife have outdated Wills in place which fail to protect the family home, or no Wills at all have been made.

Anyone with savings over £23,250 (which includes the value of the home), is expected to fund their own residential care, which may cost well over £60,000 each year in 2025.

The good news is that if a husband & wife (or partners) have the right Wills in place, then considerable protection from care fees can be achieved. Sensible financial planning is also required, such as owning their homes as tenants in common.

For FREE telephone expert legal advice about the best Will for you or your loved ones, please contact me on

(01924) 965570 or (07803) 276780 for a friendly, no obligation chat, and to arrange an appointment if you wish to take this further.

Robert Howard Solicitor

Updated June 2025