Start with a needs assessment
Lincolnshire County Council provides adult social care across the county (outside North and North East Lincolnshire, which have their own councils). Anyone can ask for a needs assessment, free of charge, to find out whether they're eligible for support.
The financial assessment
If you're eligible, the council works out what you should contribute. For 2026/27 in England:
- Over £23,250 in savings and capital: you normally pay for your own care
- £14,250 to £23,250: you contribute from savings and income
- Below £14,250: only your income is looked at
What happens to your home
For care delivered at home, the house you live in stays out of the sums entirely - unlike a care home, where its value can count once 12 weeks have passed. Where the council pays a share, ask for it as a direct payment; you can then spend it on the care you pick.
Attendance Allowance
Past State Pension age and needing help because of a health condition? Attendance Allowance ignores savings altogether. The 2026/27 rates are £76.70 weekly, rising to £114.60 when help is also needed through the night.
When the NHS pays
Where needs are mostly medical rather than social, NHS Continuing Healthcare can pick up the entire bill. NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board runs it locally: a screening checklist comes first, and a full multidisciplinary review follows if that looks promising.
Independent advice
Funding rules are complicated. Age UK and specialist later-life financial advisers can help you understand your position before you commit to anything.
This guide is general information rather than financial or legal advice. Funding limits and benefit rates usually change every April.