Fair Deal calculator · Ireland · 2026
Estimate your Fair Deal weekly contribution.
Enter the finances of the person going into care. FairPath applies the published Nursing Homes Support Scheme rules and shows the estimated weekly contribution for years 1–3 and, where a home is counted, after the three-year cap.
Estimate only — the HSE financial assessment sets the final contribution.
Their finances
Enter the finances of the person going into care — not your own, even if you're filling this in for them.
Estimated contribution
Based on published rulesEstimate from the figures you entered and the published NHSS rules (80% of income, 7.5% of assets, €36,000 disregard). The HSE's own financial assessment decides the final figure.
What the wait costs
That's money Fair Deal would have covered — and funding is never backdated. An because Fair Deal funding cannot be backdated. The figure above shows the weekly difference between the full nursing-home rate you entered and this estimate of the applicant's contribution once funding is in place.
Process facts: the HSE measures complete care-needs assessment applications against a six-week determination KPI, while the financial assessment and funding decision are separate stages. Fair Deal funding cannot be backdated. The figures above are calculated live from what you entered.
Turn the estimate into a Family File
- A guided application workflow — build the right checklist, prepare the file, check and sign.
- Evidence checklist for your exact situation — home / no home, single / couple — so nothing is missing and nothing comes back.
- Share the work — assign documents to siblings and watch the list go green together.
- Submission Day and tracking — one dated plan from today until approval.
Free for families. No payment or subscription.
See the John Doe sample first →
FairPath prepares the application. Your family stays the applicant — you check everything and you submit it. That's by design.
Not ready yet? Keep the breakdown.
How the Fair Deal calculator works
The calculator uses the same core inputs the scheme uses for the financial assessment: the applicant's net weekly income, savings and investments, relationship status and the value of the principal private residence. It then converts the annual asset contribution into a weekly figure and adds it to the income contribution.
If a principal private residence is entered, FairPath also shows the estimated contribution after year three. That is because the home is covered by the Fair Deal three-year cap and stops adding to the contribution after three years in care.
The nursing home's published rate is shown separately because it affects the amount the HSE has to fund, but it does not change the applicant's means-tested contribution. A person assessed to pay €300 per week remains assessed at €300 whether an approved home costs €1,100 or €1,500 per week.
What this estimate does — and does not — include
Included
- • Single/widowed and couple contribution rates
- • €36,000 / €72,000 asset disregard
- • Principal-home three-year cap
- • Weekly estimate from the figures you enter
Not a final HSE assessment
- • The HSE decides the official contribution
- • Special asset, farm or business cases can need extra treatment
- • The Nursing Home Loan is a separate optional application
- • Values should be checked against current HSE guidance
Fair Deal calculator: common questions
How is the Fair Deal contribution calculated?
For a single or widowed applicant, the published rules use 80% of assessed weekly income plus 7.5% a year of assessable assets above the €36,000 disregard. For one of a couple, the rates are 40% of income and 3.75% of assets, with a €72,000 disregard.
Does the family home count forever?
No. The principal private residence is subject to the 3-year cap, so it stops being counted in the asset contribution after three years in care.
Does choosing a more expensive nursing home increase my Fair Deal contribution?
No. Your assessed contribution is based on your means, not on the approved nursing home's weekly price. The HSE pays the balance of the approved cost once funding is in place.