Fees &
Funding
Local Authority and
Funding Support
Fees &
Funding
Local Authority and
Funding Support
Local Authority
Funding
Considering residential or nursing care for yourself or a loved one can be a daunting prospect, especially for the first time. One aspect that can be most worrying is how to fund your care however there is assistance available.
You may be eligible for the local council to pay towards the cost of your care however, exactly how much your local authority can contribute depends on the type of care you require.
The first step towards finding out whether you are eligible is to arrange for your council to do an assessment to check how much help you require. This is called a needs assessment.
If you need care, the council will then do a financial assessment (otherwise known as a means test) to work out what you will have to contribute to the cost of your care.
This financial assessment is free and establishes if:
- The council pays the full cost of your care
- The council pays some of the cost towards your care and you pay the rest
- You pay for all of your care
If Ineligible For Local Authority Funding
Even if you do not qualify, it is important to establish contact with your local authority to establish what other support may be available.
The Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS), part of the Citizens Advice Bureau, are an additional source of assistance regarding available support options.
This could include:
- Free Personal Care funding which is available to everyone in Scotland regardless of age, no matter their condition, capital or income, who are assessed by their local authority as needing help caring for themselves.
- Free Nursing Care, similar to Free Personal Care, and has been available to all who are assessed as requiring nursing care services, regardless of age.
Asking the local authority for an assessment also has two other benefits:
- It will facilitate getting help in the future should your financial position change.
- You or your family may be eligible for other benefits, so be sure to claim them.
Self Funding
If you choose to pay for your own care, your council can still do an assessment to check what care you might need.
This needs assessment is free and anyone can ask for one. (all possible admissions have to be referred through individual local authorities whether private or local authority funded)