What financial help can carers access to support dementia? 

Caring for someone living with dementia isn’t just emotionally demanding—it can also place an immense financial strain on families. From lost income to navigating complex care systems, carers often find themselves shouldering significant financial burdens.

The good news? There is support out there. Here’s what carers need to know about the financial help available—and how attending one of our information sessions could make a huge difference.

1. Understanding Benefits for People Living with Dementia

• Attendance Allowance: A tax-free benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care. It can be worth up to £110.40/week.
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) may apply if the person with dementia is under State Pension age.
• These benefits are not means-tested and can help cover extra care costs at home or contribute toward paid support.
  

2. Financial Support for Carers

• Carer’s Allowance: If you care for someone at least 35 hours a week, you may be entitled to £81.90/week (2025 rate)
• Even if your income is too high to receive the full allowance, it may still qualify you for Carer’s Premiums in other benefits.
• Pension Credit top-up: For older carers, this can provide essential extra income.
• Carer's Leave Act 2023: Entitles employees to take one week of unpaid leave per year to fulfill their caring responsibilities.
  
  

3. CHC Funding – What It Is, and Why You Should Know About It

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a little-known but potentially game-changing form of funding.
If your loved one’s care needs are primarily health-related (rather than social care), they may be eligible for fully funded care from the NHS—covering residential fees, home care, and even specialist nursing costs.

However, CHC can be complicated to understand and challenging to access without the right information.

That’s why we strongly recommend attending one of our Information Sharing Sessions.

At www.dementia-experience.com, we host sessions specifically focused on CHC funding—what it is, who qualifies, how to apply, and what to do if your application is rejected.

You’ll learn about:

• The difference between health vs. social care needs
• The CHC checklist and full assessment process
• Tips for successful applications and appeals
• What to expect in multidisciplinary meetings
  
  

These sessions are empowering and often eye-opening for families who didn’t realize they could access fully funded care.

4. Help with Everyday Care Costs

• Local authority support: If the person with dementia has less than £23,250 in savings (England), they may qualify for support with care home or at-home care fees.
• Free personal care in Scotland, and higher savings thresholds in Wales (£50,000) also apply.
• Shared Lives schemes and respite services can also provide affordable, supported living options.
  
  

5. Banking & Legal Tools for Peace of Mind

• Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA): Vital for managing finances and healthcare decisions once capacity is lost. We strongly recommend setting this up early.
• Free Will Service: At Dementia Experience, we’ve partnered with Squiggle Consult to offer a free will-writing service—helping you plan ahead with clarity and confidence.
• Dementia-friendly banking tools (like Sibstar cards): Let carers control spending, limit transactions, and receive alerts to prevent financial abuse or overspending.
  
  

6. Discounts, Rebates & Everyday Savings

• Carer’s Card: Access discounts on dining, shopping, travel, and more—saving the average carer around £240 a year.
• Council tax reductions: If the person with dementia qualifies for the “severely mentally impaired” (SMI) exemption, they may receive a council tax discount—or even a full exemption.
• Energy & water bill help: Carers can apply for priority services or cost-cutting schemes from utility companies.
  
  

7. Support from Charities and Community Groups

• Dementia UK: Offers specialist advice via Admiral Nurses.
• Carers UK: Provides helplines and benefit calculators.
• Marie Curie and Age UK: Offer additional support for carers of those nearing end-of-life stages.
  
  

What to Do Next

1. Book a place at our CHC Information Sharing Session – this is the single most important step     if you’re unsure whether full NHS funding might be an option.
2. Request a care needs assessment through your local authority.
3. Apply for Attendance Allowance or Carer’s Allowance as applicable.
4. Set up an LPA and consider your Will.
5. Explore free banking and legal tools via our recommended partners.
6. Use discounts and support schemes to reduce everyday expenses.     

You don’t have to navigate dementia care finances alone. With the right knowledge and support—from benefits to CHC funding—you can ease the burden and access resources that protect both your loved one’s wellbeing and your own. Our CHC-focused information sessions can be the key to accessing thousands of pounds in funding that many carers don’t even realise exists.
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Visit www.dementia-experience.com to register for a session today.

Tips for Keeping Your Loved One with Dementia Hydrated
One crucial aspect of care is ensuring they stay hydrated, as dehydration can exacerbate confusion, increase the risk of falls, and lead to other health complications. Here are some practical, compassionate strategies to help your loved one maintain adequate hydration. Dementia UK

Understand How They See the World

As dementia progresses, it can affect how a person sees and interprets colour. Many people with dementia struggle to see pale or similar shades clearly. For example, a clear glass of water on a white table may become “invisible” to them. Using brightly coloured cups, preferably in a strong contrast to the table or background (like red, blue, or yellow), can help the drink stand out and feel more inviting.

Make Hydration a Habit, Not a Hassle

People with dementia may no longer recognise when they're thirsty. Instead of waiting for them to ask for a drink, offer fluids regularly throughout the day. Think small and often—at meals, with medication, and during everyday moments like watching TV or going for a walk. Over time, these little routines become familiar and comforting.
Offer a Variety of Fluids They EnjoyTry warm herbal teas, diluted juices, milkshakes, or squash. You might find that using a favourite cup, or one in a colour they love and can easily see, encourages more sips. 

Hydrating Foods Count Too

Remember, hydration isn’t just about what’s in a glass. Foods like cucumber, melon, oranges, soups, or yoghurt can all boost fluid levels. These are often easier to offer throughout the day and may feel less overwhelming for someone who resists drinking.

A Clever Helper: Jelly Drops
Jelly Drops are award-winning bite-sized sweets made from 95% water. They’re colourful, tasty, and easy to pick up—designed specifically for people with dementia. Many carers find them a game-changer, especially for loved ones who struggle to drink from a cup or refuse drinks altogether.

Their bright colours also make them visually appealing and easy to spot for someone with dementia, which can encourage independent intake without any pressure.

Keep Drinking Habits Calm, Social, and Supportive

Drink together, if you can. Sometimes the gentle cue of you taking a sip is all it takes. Keep the atmosphere relaxed and free from too much noise or stress. Sitting down with your loved one, smiling, and making eye contact while offering a drink can often achieve more than constant reminders. Even saying ‘cheers’ as you raise your glass to theirs can make it feel more fun and more likely for them to match your action as you take a sip.

Look for Signs of Dehydration
Even with your best efforts, dehydration can still happen. Look for signs like:

• Dry mouth or lips
• Dark-coloured urine
• Dizziness or fatigue
• Increased confusion or agitation

Helpful links & communities

Contact The Dementia Experience in Kent for local support. We host regular, free coffee mornings and events that support people with dementia, and their families at every step of the
process. www.dementia-experience.co.uk

Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline free on 0800 888 6678 to talk
to a registered specialist dementia nurse; lines are open 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm at weekends


Donate to the Dementia Experience and help us support more families in Kent.
If you're concerned, don’t hesitate to reach out to your GP or get in touch with The Dementia Experience who run Information Sharing Sessions in which you’ll get the opportunity to connect with other people in the same boat.

TV Review: Anna Richardson: Love, Loss & Dementia
 
​I watched Anna Richardson's Channel 4 documentary 'Love, Loss & Dementia' in eager anticipation. "At last!" I thought, "someone who is going to do for dementia what Davina did for the menopause." A much needed mainstream program that would help delete the stigma and get conversations flowing. I wanted to be moved but not by tragic stories. I wanted to be inspired- to be shaken up by fascinating insights. I wanted to see a dogged, and empathetic, approach to delving into deep, uncomfortable, conversations. I wanted revelations and I wanted hope. 
​
Disappointment. There wasn't really anything particularly revolutionary about it. Nothing new, nothing radical, no novel thinking. We were given examples of families facing mild, moderate and severe levels of dementia, all desperate in their own way, all one way ticket situations.  

Pink haired Mary so lovingly caring for her husband Richard at home until she could no longer. She had fully sacrificed her own working life as a bespoke clothing designer and she admits that she has 'lost herself'.  This cruel illness, she so rightly describes as being so difficult because it is 'drawn out over so many years' means that she has 'no resilience left' and she describes how she is 'ground down completely'.  

Anna Richardson responds 'noone should have to care 24/7... but she loves him'.  I think Mary would agree with many of us that in fact setting them free, in this case to a care home, can be seen as one of the greatest acts of love. Distressing though it is, this is the environment that at a certain point our loved ones with dementia need.  It often doesn't suit us- the guilt of handing them over, the yuk of some of the smells, the fact that residents' aren't always fully dressed.. and yet.. and yet this... is the place for them. Here they can be looked after by a team of carers whose buttons aren't being pressed trying to preserve.  Accepting their new reality is one of the hardest, and most important acts of love we can offer.

"The government must do more" seems to be the battle cry.  Well yes, but no questions were asked of any government ministers. Plus this does give us an excuse not to become engines of our own change. We need to big up people power and focus more on the light than the darkness. 

Look at what the inspiring self-help Afro-Caribbean group achieved by funding their own coffee mornings for others' living with dementia. Why wasn't there a further focus on these kinds of enterprising and energising ways of approaching the situation? Turning pain into purpose.  We may not be able to eradicate dementia but we can make a difference. ​

This weekend I completed the 26 miles mission that is 'Trek26 Stonehenge', organised by The Alzheimer's Society. There is a series of these around the country to sign up to- and I would much recommend! The legs are sore and one big blister on left foot is making walking tricky but oh so worth it in terms of raising awareness and sponsorship, plus a great mission to get your teeth stuck into. I went it alone but felt so supported by messages of love and I was lucky enough to meet some great people along the way. I covered the ground in 8hrs and met one woman in particular, Camilla, with whom I walked almost from start to finish. We were on the same page about so much. It's these encounters with strangers that have really struck me as so important. We all need each other in one way or another. Keep reaching out and keep moving forward.