Transparent home care pricing
Home care pricing, fees and carer payments
Match with Care is an introductory marketplace where families hire vetted, self-employed carers directly. Carers set and publish their own rates, there are no joining or exit fees, and every weekly invoice shows the carer's pay alongside our 15% platform fee.
Checked · England, Scotland, Wales & NI notes included where rules differ.
Visiting care guide
£20–£25 / hour
Carer's published hourly rate (typically from 3-hour visits), plus our 15% platform fee on the invoice.
Live-in care guide
£1,050–£1,400 / week
Typical weekly cost for one carer living in the home (around £150–£200 a day), depending on needs and area.
Overnight care guide
£150–£200 / night
Typical nightly rate for sleeping or waking night support, set by the carer based on night-time needs.
Joining & exit fees
£0
No registration fee, no lock-in contract, and free carer swaps if the match is not right.
Care funding & payment guides
Can I arrange home care with local authority funding?
Local authority funding & Direct Payments
How council needs assessments, England's £23,250 capital limit, Direct Payment cards, and private top-ups work.
Can you get help paying for a carer at home if you self-fund?
Self-funding & non-means-tested benefits
Claiming Attendance Allowance (£76.70–£114.60/wk), Council Tax disregards, urgent bridge care, and capital depletion rules.
How much does private home care cost vs an agency or care home?
Private care costs: hourly, live-in & agency comparison
Realistic weekly budgets from 6 hours to full-time live-in care, and why self-employed carers save 20%–30%.
How do I set up care payments for a private carer?
Setting up private carer payments & invoicing
Digital care agreements, app visit logging, weekly itemised Stripe invoices, LPA records, and avoiding PAYE payroll.
How much does care at home cost on Match with Care?
Because carers on Match with Care are self-employed professionals rather than agency staff on minimum-wage rotas, they set their own rates according to experience, location, and care complexity. Without traditional agency overheads, families typically pay 20% to 30% less than a fully managed domiciliary care agency while carers take home a higher share of every pound.
Before any arrangement starts, you see the carer's rate, speak with or meet them at no cost, and agree the schedule in a written care agreement.
| Care type | Match with Care guide | Typical managed agency | Minimum booking / billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visiting care (hourly) | £20–£25/hr carer rate (+ 15% platform fee) | £28–£38/hr | Usually from 3 hours per visit; billed weekly for logged hours |
| Live-in care | £1,050–£1,400 / week | £1,350–£1,850+ / week | Weekly rate; couples at home typically cost far less than two care home rooms |
| Overnight care | £150–£200 / night | £190–£280 / night | Sleeping or waking night agreed with your carer |
| Short-term / respite care | £150–£220 / day (or hourly) | £220–£300+ / day | Flexible short stays for hospital discharge or family breaks |
How our 15% platform fee works
Match with Care charges a flat 15% platform fee on the care provided, clearly itemised on your weekly invoice. We do not charge a registration fee to browse, speak with a care advisor, or interview carers, and we do not charge higher percentage tiers on shorter visiting shifts.
Your fee covers initial carer vetting (interview, enhanced DBS check, right-to-work verification, and professional reference checks), digital care agreements, app-based visit logging, automated weekly invoicing and payouts, and advisor help finding replacement cover for holidays or illness.
- No joining, setup, or exit fees for families.
- You only pay for care visits and weeks that actually take place.
- Standard two weeks' notice to end or pause ongoing care — waived immediately for hospital admission or medical emergencies.
- If a carer isn't the right fit, our team introduces replacement carers at no extra matching cost.
How do carer payments and weekly invoices work?
Families never have to calculate hours on spreadsheets or hand over cash. Your carer logs each completed visit or week in the Match with Care app, generating one itemised weekly invoice.
Payments are processed securely by card via Stripe Connect and paid directly to your carer's bank account. Because carers are self-employed, they handle their own tax and National Insurance — you do not need to set up PAYE payroll or workplace pensions.
Introductory platform vs CQC-regulated agency: what you are paying for
Match with Care operates as an introductory marketplace, similar in legal model to Elder, Curam, and PrimeCarers. Carers are self-employed and your family directs day-to-day routines under a direct care agreement between you and the carer. Match with Care is not a CQC-registered care provider and does not clinically supervise care in the home.
Unlike several competitors that leave reference verification to the family, Match with Care interviews every carer and checks enhanced DBS, right to work, and professional references before introduction. To see how we score every major UK platform on the same public rules, view our scored platform comparison.
Common questions
How much does care at home cost in the UK?
Across the UK, private visiting care typically costs around £20 to £35 an hour depending on whether you use a self-employed carer platform or a managed agency, and live-in care typically ranges from £1,050 to £1,800 a week. On Match with Care, visiting carers usually publish hourly rates around £20 to £25 (plus our 15% platform fee on the invoice), and live-in care is typically £1,050 to £1,400 a week.
Are there any joining, registration, or exit fees?
No. Browsing profiles, speaking with our care advisors, and interviewing carers are completely free and carry no obligation. You only pay for care provided once an agreement starts, plus the 15% platform fee shown on your weekly invoice.
Do home care platforms help manage carer payments?
Yes. Match with Care manages the entire payment workflow: carers log visits in our app, you receive a clear weekly itemised invoice, and card payments are transferred securely to the carer via Stripe Connect. You never pay cash in hand or run PAYE payroll.
Can I use council Direct Payments or Attendance Allowance to pay?
Yes. Attendance Allowance is paid straight to the person needing care with no restrictions on which carer you choose. Families awarded a local authority Direct Payment can also pay Match with Care weekly using their Direct Payment prepaid card or bank account and send our itemised invoices to the council. Councils do not commission Match with Care directly on tendered agency contracts.
What happens if my relative goes into hospital?
Tell us and your carer as soon as possible. Visits are billed only for care that actually took place, and our standard two-week notice requirement does not apply when care pauses or ends because of a hospital admission or medical emergency.
Further reading & cost guides
Care funding hub
Self-funding, council support, Direct Payments, Attendance Allowance, and NHS CHC.
How private carer payments work
Setting up care agreements, weekly invoices, and paying without becoming an employer.
UK home care platforms compared
Elder, Curam, PrimeCarers, Care.com UK and Match with Care scored side by side.
Live-in care cost guide
Weekly live-in prices, what's included, and how live-in compares with care homes.
Visiting care cost guide
Hourly home care prices across the UK and London.
Home care FAQs
Vetting, sickness and holiday cover, notice periods, and platform policies.
Official UK sources & guidance
- Care and support statutory guidance (Care Act 2014) (GOV.UK): Statutory rules for England on needs assessments, means testing, personal budgets, and Direct Payments.
- When the council might pay for your care (NHS): Explains England's £23,250 upper and £14,250 lower capital limits and why your main home is disregarded for care at home.
- Apply for direct payments (GOV.UK): How councils pay your personal budget so you can arrange home care yourself.
- Attendance Allowance: what you'll get (GOV.UK): 2026/27 non-means-tested weekly rates (£76.70 lower rate, £114.60 higher rate).
- Help at home from a paid carer (NHS): NHS benchmark guidance on typical UK paid carer hourly costs and care options.
Need help working out costs or care options?
Speak with a Match with Care advisor for a plain-English breakdown of carer availability, weekly costs, and how Direct Payments or private invoicing work — with no obligation to hire.