Paying for a care home

This content applies to Scotland only.

Housing laws vary between Scotland and England. This page applies to Scotland only. Get advice relating to England

If you are thinking of moving into a care home, read this page to find out about help you may be able to get to pay for the costs.

This page contains a brief guide to help with paying the costs of a care home. For much more detailed guides please go to the Scottish Government website, the Age Concern website or the Help the Aged website. You can also phone the Age Concern Scotland helpline on 0845 125 9732.

How do I get help paying costs?

If you think that you need someone to help look after you, you can ask the social work department at your council to carry out an assessment of your care needs. They may decide that:

• you do not qualify for any help
• you require help in your home
• you qualify for help in a care home (also known as a residential or nursing home).

If the social work department decide that you do not require help, they will not provide care for you.

If you qualify for help in your own home there will normally be options as to how the care is provided. Depending on the circumstances, you may need to contribute to the costs of paying for your care at home.

What are the costs of being in a care home?

In a care home there are three separate costs:

• personal care
• nursing care
• hotel costs (everyday accommodation and living costs).

What is personal care?

Personal care can include:

• washing, bathing and showering
• help to manage continence
• assistance with preparation of food
• help to move around indoors
• help with medication.

What is nursing care?

Nursing care is provided by a registered doctor or nurse.

Will I have to pay personal care and nursing costs?

In Scotland, if you are over 65 and your local council's social work department decides that you need care in a care home, and you have the means to fully fund your care, it will contribute towards your personal care and/or nursing care. The council will contribute:

• £149 per week towards personal care
• £67 per week towards nursing care.

You can choose to receive the personal care element as self-directed support if you prefer.

If you are under 65 and have the means to fully fund your own care, you may be eligible for the contribution towards nursing care, but not personal care. The Scottish Government has produced a leaflet regarding free personal care, which covers in more detail what personal care can include.

If you are receiving contributions towards your personal care costs in a care home, you will no longer be entitled to attendance allowance or the care component of disability living allowance.

What are hotel costs?

Hotel costs cover your accommodation, food and other day-to-day living expenses.

Will I have to pay hotel costs?

The social work department will carry out a financial assessment to decide if you can contribute towards your hotel costs. The financial assessment will take into account your income and any savings that you have.

If you have capital of less than £13,000, this will not be taken into account in the financial assessment. Capital can be savings, investments and property, so includes an estimated value of your home, if you own it. Your income, such as any pensions and benefits, will also be taken into account.

If you have capital of more than £21,500, you will not be entitled to any help with your hotel costs. You may still be entitled to the free personal and nursing care payment though.

If you have less than £21,500 savings you will have to make a contribution to your hotel costs. You must be left with a weekly living allowance of at least £20.45.

The social work department should be able to show, in writing, how they worked out what your contribution should be. You should not have to pay any more than the actual hotel costs.

Can I get housing benefit when I'm in a care home?

You can't claim housing benefit to help pay for your stay in a care home. However, if you are only staying there temporarily and are planning on returning to your original home, you can claim housing benefit to help pay the rent while you're away.

Will I have to sell my home?

If you own your own home, the council will take into account the value of the property when carrying out its financial assessment (see 'hotel costs' above) unless you are only moving into a care home on a temporary basis, or any of the following people still live in your home:

• your husband or wife, civil partner or cohabiting partner
• a relative who is over 60;
• a relative under 16 that you support
• a relative who is incapacitated or disabled
• a divorced or estranged partner, who is a lone parent with a dependent child.

The council can also choose not to take into account the value of your home if your carer still lives there, and has given up their own home to look after you.

If you can't afford to pay your hotel costs out of your income and/or savings, you may have to sell your home in order to meet the costs.

Read the guide on the Scottish Government website to find out more.

What if I pay the costs myself?

If you know that you will be able to pay the costs yourself, you do not have to have a care or financial assessment.

However, you must have a care assessment if you want to qualify for the free personal and nursing care payment, although you don't need to have a financial assessment too.