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Deferred Payment Agreements: Using Your Home to Pay for Care (2026)

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Claire Saltwater24 August 2026
Deferred Payment Agreements explained, 2026.

A Deferred Payment Agreement (DPA) lets you use the value of your home to pay for care without selling it in a hurry. The council pays the fees; you repay later, usually from the eventual sale.

How a DPA works

The basic idea 1 Agree a DPA With your council 2 Council pays Fees are deferred 3 Debt builds Secured against thehome 4 Repay later Usually from a sale
Interest and admin fees can be charged, so ask for the full cost.

Is it right for you?

Weighing it up Good if• You don’t want to sell now• You’d like to rent the home out• The property market is poor• You want to keep options open Watch out for• Interest adds up over time• It’s a loan against your home• Not everyone is eligible• Get independent advice
A DPA defers the cost — it doesn’t reduce or avoid it.
This is general information, not financial advice. Ask your council about eligibility and costs, and consider a SOLLA-accredited adviser.
💬 Find the right care near you. Search the AskBart directory for homes, ratings and guide prices — or ask Bart for help.

Frequently asked questions

Can I rent out my home under a DPA?

Often yes, which can help cover some care costs and reduce how fast the debt grows.

Do I have to sell eventually?

Not necessarily — the debt can be repaid another way, but for many families it’s settled from the sale of the property.

CS

Claire Saltwater

Editor · AskBart

Claire Saltwater is AskBart's Editor and a care-home industry veteran. One of AskBart's earliest team members, she has spent years working in and around social care — so she understands first-hand the difficult, often overwhelming decisions families face when choosing a care home. Claire writes and edits AskBart's advice guides with one goal: clear, genuinely independent information, free of jargon and sales pressure. Away from her desk she loves a good farmers' market and time with her two young children.

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