Free care for older people in Scotland is becoming unsustainable

Scotland's free personal care for individuals over 65 is under threat, as the current system becomes increasingly unaffordable.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ­(COSLA) has warned that change to free personal care in Scotland is “inevitable”, and older people could face a means test to obtain the free care. Free personal care in Scotland is not currently means tested, meaning that anybody in Scotland assessed as requiring the care will receive the £159 "free" care per week, regardless of their income. This could be set to change, however, as the costs of the system are becoming unsustainable.

Douglas Yates, health and wellbeing spokesman for ­COSLA, said: “The current ­system is not sustainable. The reality is that, with the baby boomers coming up to pensionable age, we need to look at a different system and perhaps charging.”

Care for older people has been largely 'free' in Scotland for ­almost a decade, and was a flagship policy of the first Scottish Executive after being introduced in 2002. Since then, however, its costs have almost doubled in  to around £370 million a year.

Scottish local authorities say they are severely underfunded, and the situation has been magnified as spending cuts start to come into effect.

Douglas Yates, COSLA

Mr Yates added: “If there was a decision made to apply means testing, it would perhaps mean that many of those who receive free personal care might not do so into the future.”

Currently, anyone over 65 in Scotland assessed as being ­eligible for personal and nursing care at home is entitled to receive it regardless of income.

Those paying residential care costs – so-called self-funders – receive a weekly contribution of £159 to their personal care, which rises to £231 if nursing is also required.

The Scottish Government’s budget will fall by £1.3 billion this year and cuts will continue. A report by Holyrood’s Independent Budget Review group said the free personal care policy was “hard to justify”.

A Scottish Government spokesman said it was committed to “protecting vulnerable citizens”.

He added: “We have worked with COSLA leadership to agree a council funding package, which maintains key public service commitments, including free personal care.”

 

Is the future of our care in Scotland in danger?