Could your loved one qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding?

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is fully-funded care provided or arranged by the NHS for people with a ‘primary health need’ — a level of need that goes beyond what a local authority can meet. If someone qualifies, the NHS pays 100% of their care costs, including care home fees. It is not means-tested, so savings and property are irrelevant.

No. Unlike local authority social care funding, CHC is based entirely on health need — not financial circumstances. Your loved one’s savings, pension, or property have no bearing on eligibility. If they qualify, the NHS covers all costs regardless of how much they own.

The NHS uses a tool called the Decision Support Tool (DST), which assesses needs across 12 care domains including behaviour, cognition, mobility, and medication. Our free eligibility checker takes 3 minutes and gives an instant indication based on those same criteria.

This is more common than it should be. You can request a retrospective CHC assessment at any time — even years later. If the review finds your loved one should have been eligible, the NHS must refund care fees paid during that period. There is no fixed statutory time limit for NHS administrative retrospective CHC reviews. NHS England can review periods back to April 2012 under published NHS England guidance. The Limitation Act 1980 applies to court proceedings, not administrative NHS reviews.

The NHS target is 28 days from the initial Checklist screening to the full DST assessment decision. In practice, it often takes 2–3 months, and some ICBs take longer. If you’re facing hospital discharge pressure, ask the ward team about CHC screening immediately — do not wait.

No. CHC advocacy is not a regulated legal activity — there is no legal requirement for a solicitor. Many families navigate the process successfully with the right preparation and support. Solicitors are only typically needed if a case progresses to judicial review, which is rare.

Our content is drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by a legal and regulatory professional, a senior social worker, and experienced local government social care professionals. Reviewers are not individually named while they are still employed. Every guide is checked against the NHS National Framework and relevant UK law. We have no sponsors, no care home affiliates, and no financial interest in any outcome.

All guides, articles, and the eligibility checker are completely free — no signup required. We also offer paid products for families who want deeper support: the Case Strength Report (£97, AI-powered evidence review) and the Checklist Evidence Pack (£597, assessor-ready evidence document). We’ll always tell you upfront what’s free and what isn’t.