Cost of care in Scotland
The cost of care will vary depending on whether someone moves into a residential care home, nursing care home or chooses to receive care at home.
On average the weekly cost for care in Scotland is:
- £1,160 for a residential care home
- £1,410 for a nursing care home
- On average, people who receive care at home should expect to pay around £23-£34 per hour. Generally speaking, the cost of home care will increase the more complex a person’s care needs are
Funding care in Scotland
In Scotland, you will receive free personal and nursing care (from April 2024, £248.70 a week for personal care and £111.90 a week for nursing care) when you move into a care home, however, you may need to cover some or all of the costs for accommodation and food etc.
How much you will need to contribute will depend on your assets and capital - and this will be determined through a financial means test, which will state whether your care will be self-funded or state-funded.
In Scotland, the thresholds for 2024/25 are:
- Lower limit: £21,500
- Upper limit: £35,000
This means if your capital is above £35,000 you will be expected to fund your care home fees as a self-funder. If you have capital below the lower limit, you’ll be state-funded.
Types of funding in Scotland
To help with the cost of your care in Scotland, the following funding options are available:
Council funding
For 2024/25, if your capital is below the lower limit, the state will pay up to:
- £948.59 a week for nursing care
- £825.94 a week for residential care
These are the maximum funding amounts, but it doesn’t mean you will automatically be entitled to the maximum amount. How much funding someone receives will depend on care needed and fees charged by different care homes.
NHS-funded nursing care (FNC)
If your loved one needs to move into a nursing home, but is not eligible for hospital based complex clinical care, the NHS may help with the costs of the nursing care components of your fees.
In Scotland, this funding works slightly differently than the rest of the UK and is typically covered by the local council rather than the NHS.
Anybody assessed as needing personal and/or nursing care is entitled to the funding when they move into a care home.
Published May 7th 2024