PRICE GUIDE · CARE & SUPPORT · 2026–2027
Personal Care Assistant cost in the UK
£26–£40 per hour. Typically £33.
From £26 to £40 an hour is the UK range for a personal care assistant through an agency, with roughly £33 typical. Intimate care, hoisting with two carers, short early-morning calls and higher-rated or London agencies push the price up.
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HOW MUCH IT COSTS
How much does a personal care assistant cost in the UK?
| Low end | £26 | weekday visits outside the South East |
|---|---|---|
| Typical | £33 | what most people pay |
| High end | £40 | double-up early calls in London |
Locufy guide prices for 2026–2027. Updated 2026. A national range, not a quote — enter your town above for real prices from the carers and care agencies near you.
What moves the price
- Type of personal care — continence care and full assistance with bathing take more time than help dressing
- Moving and handling — a personal care assistant using a hoist usually needs a second carer
- Early calls — personal care assistant visits before eight in the morning are in short supply
- Inspection rating — agencies rated outstanding charge a little more for personal care assistants
- London and the South East — personal care assistant rates are highest there
- Gender preference — asking for a personal care assistant of the same sex can limit the slots on offer
WHAT YOU GET
What a personal care assistant visit includes
Takes: Visits of thirty minutes to an hour, timed around the person's daily routine. Not included: Nursing tasks, overnight care and live-in support are priced in their own guides below.
WHAT PEOPLE BOOK
Common personal care assistant jobs
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Personal Care Assistant near you, with prices shown
The carers and care agencies that cover your area, nearest first, each with their price and one score from every review. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.
How to pay less
- Ask an occupational therapist about aids that make personal care easier and visits shorter
- Get a council needs assessment, as personal care may be part-funded, or free in Scotland
- Book the personal care assistant for routine times rather than peak early slots if your routine allows
Before you book
- Check the personal care assistant's agency is registered with CQC, the Care Inspectorate, CIW or RQIA
- Ask how personal care assistants are trained in moving and handling and in infection control
- Say whether you prefer a personal care assistant of a particular gender, and ask if it can be met
- Agree the personal care plan in writing, including dignity and privacy preferences
Personal Care Assistant cost: questions people ask
Through an agency, about £26–£40 an hour, typically £33. Weekday calls outside London cost least; double-up and early or weekend calls cost most.
Thirty minutes to an hour for most routines; a full bath or shower with dressing usually needs the longer visit.
In Scotland, personal care is free for adults assessed by their council as needing it. Elsewhere it is means-tested, and Wales caps the weekly charge for non-residential care.
Sometimes, through direct payments, though councils usually limit paying a close relative living in the same home. Ask your council's social care team.
Nursing procedures, overnight care and live-in support are separate services with their own prices.
They are Locufy guide prices for the UK, drawn from a national home care price index and published agency rates. They show a range, not a quote.
MORE GUIDES