Paying for care at 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 going to get care at home following an assessment of your care needs by social work, you may have to pay for some of the help you receive. Social work will decide if you have to pay after looking at your circumstances.

Do I have to pay for care at home?

If you are over 65 and have been assessed by your council's social work department as needing personal care at home, the council will provide this for you free of charge.

If you are under 65, you may have to pay for any personal care services you need, depending on your situation.

Each social work department has its own charging policy, which is usually based on any income and savings you have. You can ask for a copy of your council's charging policy. You don't have to reveal your financial circumstances to social work if you don't want to, but in this case they will assume that you are able to pay any costs yourself.

In addition, different social work departments may have different definitions of what counts as personal care. However, if you are over 65 you should not have to pay for personal care at home that includes:

• help with washing yourself
• help with managing continence
• assistance with eating, managing and preparing a specialist diet (such as pureeing foods)
• help to move around indoors
• help with simple medical treatments, for example changing dressings or applying creams.

You may have to pay for cleaning and general home help. You can find out more about free personal care at the Scottish Government website.

Will my carer have to pay for my care at home?

If you have a carer, they will not be charged for any services you receive. However, if your carer receives help, such as a help with housework in their own home to free up time to care for you, then they may be charged for these services. You can find more information for carers here.

Can I get self-directed support (direct payments)?

If you require care at home, your council may be able to give you money so that you can chose and arrange your own care services. This is called getting self-directed support.

What benefits can I claim?

• If you are over 65 and have difficulty managing on your own you may be entitled to attendance allowance.
• If you are under 65 and have difficulty managing on your own you may be entitled to disability living allowance.
• If some one spends more than 35 hours a week looking after you, they may be entitled to carer's allowance.

You can find out more about benefits if you're disabled and other benefits here, by visiting the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) website or by contacting your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Can I get help from the independent living fund?

If you are severely disabled, you may be able to apply to the independent living fund (ILF) to help pay for care services so you can live at home rather than moving into a home. You can find out more about the ILF here.