Paying for care in Buxton, Leek and Biddulph

Quick summary

Three towns, three different councils, three different sets of rules. Buxton is Derbyshire County Council. Leek and Biddulph are Staffordshire County Council, which charges non-residential care at £21.80 an hour. The national capital limits are identical everywhere, and what happens next is not.

What is the same everywhere

• Capital limits: £23,250 upper and £14,250 lower in England for 2026/27, with a tariff of £1 a week per £250 in between.
• The house you live in is not counted for care at home. See how the assessment works.
• A care needs assessment is free and a legal right under the Care Act 2014.
• The Minimum Income Guarantee protects a set amount of income from charges.
• Attendance Allowance is not means-tested: £76.70 or £114.60 a week from April 2026.
• NHS Continuing Healthcare is not means-tested, and reablement after hospital is free for up to six weeks.

What differs by council

Sources: Staffordshire County Council and Derbyshire County Council. Rates change, usually in April, so confirm the current figures before relying on them. 

Staffordshire: Leek, Biddulph and Kidsgrove

Staffordshire publishes its charge as a straightforward hourly figure, which makes it easier to plan than most.

Non-residential care is charged at £21.80 an hour, and the council publishes a table converting care hours into a weekly charge. Its own worked example: a plan of 11.75 hours a week produces a weekly charge of £256.15.

Two points worth knowing. That is the maximum you could be charged for the hours in your plan, and the financial assessment decides what you actually pay, which may be less or nothing. And respite is charged at the actual cost the council pays for the placement rather than at the hourly rate.

Derbyshire: Buxton, Harpur Hill and Whaley Bridge

Derbyshire calls the charge a community contribution, and it is calculated from your financial assessment rather than published as a flat hourly rate.

There is an online financial self-assessment to complete, with supporting evidence, which the council’s finance team reviews. Income is protected at the Minimum Income Guarantee level, and contributions are calculated weekly and usually collected every four weeks.

One useful detail: where services follow a carer’s assessment, Derbyshire does not ask the carer for a financial contribution. If you are the one caring, that is worth knowing before you decline support on cost grounds.

Contact for financial assessments is 01629 532231 or financial.assessments@derbyshire.gov.uk.

Cheshire East, for comparison

If part of your family is in Macclesfield or Congleton, the contrast is useful. Cheshire East is a unitary council, so one organisation handles care and Council Tax. Its published personal assistant rate for people employing their own staff through a direct payment was £16.21 an hour from April 2025, and it publishes a cost of care exercise and market sustainability plan.

Adult social care there is 0300 123 5010.

The border traps

• Two councils, not one. In Buxton, Leek and Biddulph the care council and the Council Tax council are different organisations. Neither will transfer you smoothly to the other.
• The Council Tax disregard for someone certified severely mentally impaired goes to the district or borough council, not the county. Worth four figures a year.
• Disabled Facilities Grants come from the district or borough after an occupational therapy assessment by the county. Families routinely ring only one and wait weeks.
• Hospitals cross the boundary too. Buxton and Whaley Bridge often route to Stepping Hill in Stockport, Kidsgrove and Biddulph to Royal Stoke. The council responsible is where the person lives, not where they were treated.
• Moving across the border triggers a continuity duty, so the new council must meet the needs identified by the old one until it has done its own assessment. Tell both councils before the move.

Our guide to which council does what covers the full split, including the local government reorganisation that will replace both county councils with new unitary authorities, expected in 2028.

What to do, in order

1. Ring the right county council and ask for a care needs assessment. Free, and before any money is discussed.
2. Claim Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested and helps whatever the council decides.
3. Apply for the Council Tax disregard through the district or borough council if dementia or a similar condition is involved.
4. Complete the financial assessment when asked, with evidence ready.
5. Ask about a direct payment if you want to choose your own provider.
6. Ask about NHS Continuing Healthcare where health needs are complex.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays for care in Buxton?

Derbyshire County Council assesses and funds care, subject to a financial assessment. High Peak Borough Council handles Council Tax and Disabled Facilities Grants.

What does Staffordshire charge for home care?

£21.80 an hour for non-residential care, with a published table of weekly charges. What you actually pay depends on your financial assessment.

Is care cheaper in one county than another?

The national capital limits are identical. What differs is the charging policy and the rate each council uses, so two people with the same finances in neighbouring villages can pay different amounts.

Can I use a Cheshire provider in Buxton?

If you are paying privately or using a direct payment, you can choose any provider that covers your address. If the council arranges the care, it will normally use its own contracted providers.

Do I pay for a carer’s assessment?

No. Assessments are free, and Derbyshire states it does not seek a financial contribution from carers for services provided following a carer’s assessment.

What happens when the councils reorganise?

Both areas have said services continue as they are. Statutory duties transfer to whichever council holds them at the time.

About Visiting Angels Cheshire East

Visiting Angels Cheshire East provides care at home across all three council areas: Buxton, Harpur Hill, Whaley Bridge, Taxal, Chapel-en-le-Frith and Dove Holes in the High Peak; Leek, Meerbrook, Longnor, Hollinsclough, Biddulph, Biddulph Moor and Kidsgrove in Staffordshire; and Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Congleton, Alsager and the villages in Cheshire East.

• We work across all three borders, which is unusual and is why we can tell you which council to ring.
• You choose your caregiver, and meet them before care starts.
• No visit is ever shorter than an hour.
• You see the same faces. Our carer turnover is 12 per cent, against a sector figure of 23.7 per cent (Skills for Care, 2025).
• Live-in care available, up to full time.

Sharon’s mother had been having visits for a fortnight when she wrote this:

“It is not something we ever thought we would need but Visiting Angels have been wonderful. They came to see us to find out exactly what we needed, even though we weren’t completely sure ourselves, but through our conversation we were able to put a package of support in place. They offered advice on other things that were available to us as well particularly financially. They put our minds at ease during what was quite a stressful time in our lives.”

Sharon Thornton, Google review

Not sure what you need yet? Start with a free assessment

Our free home care assessment is a visit at a time that suits you, with no obligation afterwards. In it we will:

• Tell you which council you are dealing with, and for what.
• Work out what is actually difficult, and what a realistic package would cost.
• Look at the money with you, including the benefits that are not means-tested.
• Tell you honestly if the council route should come first.

If you are near the border and nobody has given you a straight answer, call us on 01625 720157. You can also send an enquiry, and you can check the areas we cover.

Authored by Dr Haroon Ahmad, Managing Director, Visiting Angels Cheshire East.

Published 27 September 2026. Last updated 27 September 2026.

This article is general information about care funding, not financial or legal advice. Each council sets and revises its own charging policy, and the figures quoted were published at the date of publication; confirm current rates with the relevant council. Local government reorganisation is under way in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Free independent advice is available from Citizens Advice, Age UK and MoneyHelper. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GB Care at Home Ltd accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this article.