How much does companionship care cost in Greater Manchester in 2026?
What companionship visits cost in Greater Manchester in 2026, what is and is not included, how the price compares with regulated home care, and what a week's visits add up to.
Whitegreen Companions charges £27 an hour for companionship care across Greater Manchester in 2026, which is £54 for the standard two-hour weekday visit, with no assessment fee, no deposit and no minimum term. Regulated home care, which includes personal care, costs more to deliver: the Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price at £34.42 an hour in England for 2026/27. Few companionship providers publish their rates, so always ask for the hourly price in writing, whether VAT is included, and whether the companion is employed or self-employed.
What you are paying for
Companionship care is time with a trusted, vetted person: conversation, a walk, the shopping done together, a lift to an appointment, a meal cooked and eaten with someone, a hand with the bins or a bulb. It does not include personal care, which means the provider is not registered with the Care Quality Commission and does not need to be. That is the single biggest reason companionship costs less than home care. It is also the line a good provider will tell you about before you ask.
Prices in Greater Manchester
Most companionship providers in Greater Manchester do not publish their prices, which makes comparing them harder than it should be. We are compiling every published rate across the ten boroughs into a price index and will publish it here with the method and the sources. Until then, the honest guidance is about the three kinds of provider you will meet, because the kind matters more than the headline number.
| Type of provider | How the price works | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Employed companionship service | One hourly rate; the companion is on the provider's payroll | That the rate includes the provider's insurance, DBS checks, holiday and sick pay |
| Introduction agency | A lower hourly rate paid to a self-employed companion, plus an agency fee | Who is the employer, who holds the insurance, what happens when the companion is ill |
| Regulated home care agency offering companionship | Often the same hourly rate as personal care visits | Whether companionship is a separate service or a line inside a care package that can be cut short |
Whitegreen Companions publishes its full price list rather than quoting on request. The core visit is two hours on a weekday between 8am and 6pm for £54, which is £27 an hour. A one-hour visit is £30. Evenings after 6pm and weekends are 25% more. There is no assessment fee, no set-up fee, no deposit and no minimum term, and one week's notice ends the arrangement from either side.
What a typical week costs
Most families start with one visit a week and adjust from there.
- One two-hour weekday visit a week: £54, or about £234 a month.
- Two two-hour weekday visits a week: £108, or about £468 a month.
- One two-hour visit plus a one-hour midweek check-in: £84, or about £364 a month.
Mileage on outings in the companion's own car is charged at the HMRC rate of 45p a mile. Travel to and from the client's home is never charged.
Why the price is lower than home care
A regulated home care agency has to fund CQC registration, a registered management structure, clinical training and the oversight that goes with personal care. The Homecare Association calculates that delivering regulated home care sustainably in England costs at least £34.42 an hour in 2026/27 once the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour, travel time, training, pensions and insurance are counted. Companionship carries the same employment costs but not the regulatory ones, which is why an honest companionship price sits below that figure without cutting corners on pay.
A rate well below £20 an hour deserves a question about how the companion is paid. The National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour from April 2026; add employer's National Insurance, pension, holiday pay, travel time between visits and insurance and the cost of an employed hour is well above that before the provider has covered anything else. A very low rate usually means the person visiting is self-employed and the provider is not carrying those costs, which is worth knowing before you rely on them.
The questions that change the price
- Is the companion employed or introduced? An employed companion costs more per hour and less in risk.
- Does the price include a written update to the family after each visit? Some providers charge for this.
- What happens if the usual companion is ill? Ask whether a backup is named in advance or found on the day.
- Is there a minimum term, a deposit or a cancellation fee? None of the three should be necessary for a service booked by the hour.
- Is VAT included in the quote?
Paying for it
Companionship is almost always paid for privately. Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested and has no rules about how it is spent, pays £76.70 or £114.60 a week from April 2026 to anyone over State Pension age who has needed help with personal care or supervision for six months. The lower rate alone covers most of a weekly two-hour visit. Our guide on Attendance Allowance and companionship care explains how to claim.
Common questions
Is companionship care cheaper than home care?
Usually, yes. Companionship is not a regulated activity, so a companionship provider does not carry the cost of CQC registration and clinical oversight. The trade-off is scope: a companion cannot provide personal care, so if that is needed you will need a registered provider as well or instead.
Do I pay VAT on companionship care?
Whitegreen Companions does not currently charge VAT. Unlike regulated welfare services, companionship is standard-rated for VAT once a provider passes the registration threshold, so always check whether a quoted price includes it.
Is there a minimum number of hours?
Most providers, including Whitegreen, set a two-hour minimum per visit because a shorter visit is mostly travel. One-hour visits are available at a higher hourly rate.
Can I pay for companionship with Attendance Allowance?
Yes. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested and there are no rules on what it is spent on. The lower rate of £76.70 a week covers most of one weekly two-hour visit.
Sources
Every figure above comes from one of these. If one has moved or changed, tell us and we will correct the guide.
More guides
7 September 2026 · 3 min read
Can Attendance Allowance pay for companionship care? The 2026 rates and how to claim
Attendance Allowance is £76.70 or £114.60 a week from April 2026, is not means-tested and has no rules about how it is spent. Here is who qualifies, how to claim, and what it covers.
7 September 2026 · 3 min read
A break for family carers: how a weekly companionship visit works as respite, and what you are entitled to
How unpaid carers in Greater Manchester use a regular companionship visit as a break, the carer's assessment every carer is entitled to under the Care Act 2014, and the 2026/27 Carer's Allowance rate.
Start with a conversation, not a contract
Tell us who the visits are for and where they live. If we can help, we will arrange a free meet-and-greet with the companion we have in mind. If we cannot, we will say so and point you somewhere that can.