In 2026, visiting respite care at home costs around £32 an hour on the UK average, with London typically at or above that rate. A residential respite week averages £1,377 nationally, and London care homes charge well above the national average. Live-in respite runs from about £1,540 a week. Here’s what sits behind those numbers, and what moves them.
Respite care costs at a glance
Across the UK in 2026, Lottie’s care cost index puts hourly home care at £32 an hour, residential respite at £1,377 a week and nursing respite at £1,600 a week. Respite also tends to cost a little more than a permanent placement. carehome.co.uk estimates short stays run around 10 to 15% above standard residential rates.
| Type of respite care | Typical 2026 cost | Source |
| Hourly visiting care at home | From £32 an hour (UK average) | Lottie |
| Live-in respite, carer sleeps overnight | £1,540 a week | Lottie |
| Live-in respite, waking nights | £1,820 a week | Lottie |
| Residential respite in a care home | £1,377 a week (UK average) | Lottie |
| Nursing respite | £1,600 a week (UK average) | Lottie |
| Dementia respite, residential to nursing | £1,430 to £1,644 a week | Lottie |
London sits at the expensive end of every row. For context, a permanent residential bed in London averages £1,548 a week against £1,298 across England, according to carehome.co.uk’s 2026 London cost guide. Short respite stays then price above that, because assessment and set-up costs are compressed into days rather than spread over months.
What do you pay for hourly respite at home?
Hourly respite is the flexible option. A carer comes to your parent’s home for agreed visits and covers what you’d normally cover: personal care, medication prompts, meals, and the company that makes the day feel normal. At the UK average of £32 an hour, the meter only runs on the hours you actually book.
As simple arithmetic, two hours every day for a week comes to about £450 at that rate, and a daily three-hour block to about £670. Evenings, weekends and bank holidays usually price higher, with us as with most London agencies. Exact rates depend on the support your family member needs, which is why we confirm them after a free assessment. Our own standard rate is £32.14 an hour, and that figure isn’t ours. It’s the Homecare Association’s Minimum Price for Homecare for 2025 to 2026.
That’s the independently calculated rate at which an agency can pay carers legally, cover travel time and mileage, and still run safe, well-managed care. The same body’s analysis found councils paying an average of just £24.10 an hour for state-funded homecare, and its benchmark has since risen to £34.42 for 2026 to 2027. When a quote comes in far below these numbers, it’s worth asking what’s been cut. Our respite and holiday care service is built around exactly this model: your usual routine, delivered by us, for as long as you need to be away.
What does live-in respite cost for a week or two?
Live-in respite means a professional carer moves into the home while you’re away. Lottie’s 2026 figures put it at £1,540 a week where the carer sleeps overnight, rising to £1,820 a week where waking nights are needed. The carer needs a bedroom, and food is normally covered within the household.
When does live-in beat hourly? The maths turns surprisingly quickly. At £32 an hour, seven visited hours a day already costs about £1,570 a week, roughly the price of round-the-clock live-in cover. For someone with dementia who sundowns in the evening or wanders at night, waking-night live-in respite is often the honest recommendation. Our live-in care in London page explains how we structure it.
Is respite cheaper at home or in a care home?
Often, yes, at home, but it depends on hours. carehome.co.uk estimates respite stays cost 10 to 15% more than standard residential rates, and London residential already averages £1,548 a week, with nursing at £1,759. A London care home respite week therefore commonly clears £1,700. At home, a family needing three hours a day pays around £670 for the same week.
Price isn’t the whole decision. A care home brings 24-hour staffing and facilities on site. Home brings familiar surroundings, one-to-one attention and no settling-in period, which matters enormously in dementia, where a strange environment can unsettle someone for the whole stay. Our guide to respite care in London walks through both routes properly.
Five things that change the price
Five things move a respite quote more than anything else: the complexity of care needed, especially dementia support or moving and handling; whether nights are sleeping or waking; how much notice you can give; timing, since weekends and bank holidays cost more; and duration, because longer bookings usually settle to a kinder weekly rate.
Two structural details catch families out. Most agencies set a minimum visit length, often an hour, so very short calls cost proportionally more than the headline rate suggests. And a single two-week booking usually lands on a better weekly rate than two separate weeks, because one carer keeps the continuity.
Emergency starts deserve their own mention. When a family carer is suddenly hospitalised, care can often begin faster than families expect, but short notice narrows carer choice and usually adds a premium. We’ve written separately about emergency respite care in London and how to arrange it quickly.
Can you get help with the cost?
You may not have to pay all of it yourself. The route runs through your council: a carer’s assessment for you, a care needs assessment for the person you look after, then a financial assessment. Above £23,250 in savings you’ll usually self-fund, per carehome.co.uk. The NHS also points to charity help, including Carers Trust grants and the Turn2us grant search. We’ve broken the whole system down in who pays for respite care.
How do you get an exact figure for your situation?
Ranges only take you so far. What you actually need is a number for your dates, your parent’s needs and your postcode. We start with a free assessment at home, usually arranged within days, and follow up with a clear written quote the same day. The quote is itemised, so you can see exactly where every pound goes, and there’s no obligation attached to it. As a CQC-registered London agency, we’ll also tell you honestly when a care home stay would serve your family better.
Contact us with the dates you need covered, even rough ones. We’ll take it from there.
Frequently asked questions
How much does respite care cost per week in London?
For visiting care at home, two to three hours a day comes to roughly £450 to £670 a week at 2026 average rates. Live-in respite runs £1,540 to £1,820 a week nationally per Lottie, and a London care home respite week commonly exceeds £1,700 once the short-stay premium is added.
How much is respite care per day?
Hourly visiting care averages £32 an hour in 2026, so a three-hour day costs around £96. Live-in respite works out at roughly £220 to £260 a day based on Lottie’s weekly figures. Care home respite in London typically prices day rates well above both.
Is it cheaper to have respite care at home or in a care home?
Usually, at home, if your family member needs under about seven hours of support a day. Beyond that, live-in respite and care home stays cost similar amounts, and the decision turns on what suits the person: familiar surroundings and one-to-one care at home, or on-site facilities and 24-hour staffing.
What does the cost of respite care include?
At home, the rate covers your carer’s time and the agency behind them, including vetting, training, insurance, care planning and cover if your carer is unwell. Live-in rates include day-to-day support and overnight presence, with the carer needing a bedroom and meals within the household. Care home fees bundle accommodation, meals and staffing. As a benchmark, the Homecare Association prices all of this at a minimum of £32.14 an hour for 2025 to 2026, and that’s the rate we work to.
How much does emergency respite care cost?
Emergency respite uses the same hourly and weekly structures but usually carries a short-notice premium, because carers must be matched within days rather than weeks. Costs settle back to standard rates once the placement stabilises. Arranging a care needs assessment early is the best way to keep an urgent start affordable.
References
- Lottie, Cost of respite care in the UK, figures updated April 2026.
- carehome.co.uk, Care home cost guide to London (2026).
- carehome.co.uk, Who pays for respite care?
- NHS, Carers’ breaks and respite care.
- Homecare Association, Minimum Price for Homecare 2025-26 and 2026-27, and Fee Rates for State-Funded Homecare in 2025-26.
