Home care charges in Scotland: what’s free and what you pay (2026/27)

In Scotland, personal care at home is free for any adult the council assesses as needing it, whatever their income or savings. That covers help with washing, dressing, going to the toilet, preparing food and taking medicines. Councils can still charge for other home support, such as housework, shopping, day care, meals and community alarms, after a financial assessment that never counts the value of the home. Each council sets its own 2026/27 thresholds, so ask your local health and social care partnership for its charging policy.

In short

• Personal care at home has been free for people aged 65 and over since July 2002 and for all adults since April 2019. It is not means-tested.
• Councils can charge for non-personal care such as domestic help, day care, meals, transport and alarms. They follow national COSLA guidance, which protects income up to a benefit-based threshold plus a 25% buffer.
• Example 2026/27 policy (East Dunbartonshire): single person over 60 protected up to £298 a week, and charged no more than 75% of income above that. Alarms cost £4.85 a week and day care £30 a day.
• There is no upper savings limit for care at home. Savings above an allowance (£10,000 for over-60s in that example) add £1 a week of assumed income per £500.
• Free personal care only applies to care the council has assessed. If you book an agency privately without an assessment, you pay the full hourly rate.
• Support that meets an unpaid carer’s assessed needs cannot be charged for.

What counts as free personal care at home

The list comes from Schedule 1 of the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002. In plain terms, it covers:

• Personal hygiene: shaving, cleaning teeth, nail care, help with the toilet, catheter and stoma care, and changing bedding and clothes after incontinence.
• Eating: preparing, cooking, reheating, cutting up and serving food, and help with special diets. Buying or supplying the food itself is not included.
• Immobility: dealing with the problems of being unable to move around, such as transfers and repositioning.
• Simple treatments: applying creams, eye drops and simple dressings that do not need a nurse, and help with oxygen therapy.
• General well-being: help with dressing, getting up and going to bed, using equipment, memory aids and safety devices, plus behaviour management and psychological support. This last item matters for people with dementia.

Help with washing and bathing is also free personal care, because the legal definition of personal care gives eating and washing as examples. Our guide to what personal care is explains these tasks in more detail. Nursing care at home, from district nurses, is NHS care and is free anyway.

What councils can still charge for

Councils have a power to charge under section 87 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. How they use it varies, but most policies treat services like this:

One visit often mixes free and chargeable tasks. Ask the council to show in writing how many minutes of each visit count as personal care.

How the financial assessment works

For chargeable services, the council looks at income, savings and some costs. COSLA’s national guidance sets the framework, and each council adds its own figures. The steps are usually:

1. Add up weekly income: pensions, earnings above a small disregard, and most benefits. Many councils count only part of a disability benefit. East Dunbartonshire, for example, counts only the lower rate of Attendance Allowance when no overnight service is provided.
2. Take off the protected threshold: a benefit-based amount plus a 25% buffer. Thresholds are higher for people over pension age and for couples.
3. Take off disability-related expenditure: extra costs caused by illness or disability, such as higher heating or laundry bills or specialist clothing. You will need receipts or bills.
4. Apply the taper: the council takes a percentage of what is left. Rates vary between areas.
5. Cap the charge: you never pay more than the service actually costs.

A real 2026/27 example: East Dunbartonshire

Its flat 2026/27 charges include £4.85 a week for a community alarm, £30 a day for day care (capped at £36 with transport) and £1.20 for a lunch club. Other councils differ.

Worked example (illustrative figures)

Margaret, 81, lives alone in East Dunbartonshire. She has £290 a week in pensions and the higher rate of Pension Age Disability Payment (£114.60), with no overnight care. The policy names Attendance Allowance, so we assume the council treats PADP, which replaced it in Scotland, the same way. She has £8,000 in savings. She gets 10 hours of personal care a week, two hours of housework charged at an assumed £25 an hour, and an alarm.

Her 10 hours of personal care cost her nothing. If she shows £15 a week of extra heating costs because of her illness, her excess income drops to £53.70. Her maximum charge then falls to £40.28, so she pays £45.13 a week in total. That is why it is worth claiming disability-related expenditure.

To estimate the full cost of a package before the council works out its figures, try our care cost calculator.

Savings and the family home

Care at home has no capital cut-off: savings above the council’s allowance simply add a little assumed income, and the home is never counted. Care homes are different: the 2026/27 limits are £36,750 and £22,750. Our guides to paying for care in Scotland and selling a house to pay for care in Scotland cover those rules.

Getting the free personal care: assessment first

The free element only applies once the council has assessed your parent’s needs. Ask the local health and social care partnership for an assessment under section 12A of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. Once needs are agreed, the council must offer the four Self-directed Support options. With Option 1, a direct payment, your parent can choose an agency or employ a personal assistant, and the council still funds the personal care part.

Book an agency directly, without an assessment, and you pay its full rate for everything, including personal care. If waiting lists are long, ask for the assessment date in writing. See our advice on choosing a home care agency and how many hours of home care your parent might need.

Disability benefits keep being paid

Pension Age Disability Payment (£76.70 or £114.60 a week in 2026/27) and Adult Disability Payment continue when personal care at home is free. Some councils count part of them as income for charges, but the extra income usually outweighs any increase. If a relative gives 35 hours or more of care a week, see Carer Support Payment and help for carers in Scotland.

How to challenge a home care charge

1. Ask for a written breakdown showing income counted, threshold, disregards, taper and the services charged.
2. Check that personal care time has not been charged, and that carer support has been waived.
3. Claim disability-related expenditure with evidence.
4. Ask for a review or a hardship waiver. Most policies allow a reduced or nil charge in exceptional cases.
5. If that fails, use the council’s complaints procedure. You can then go to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, normally within 12 months of finding out about the problem.

Will home care charges be scrapped?

The Scottish Government has committed to working with COSLA to end non-residential care charges, but the original timetable was missed. In 2026/27 councils still charge, so budget for it and check each April.

Mistakes to avoid

• Paying privately for personal care without an assessment. Every week before the assessment is a week of care you pay for in full.
• Assuming an alarm is free. Most councils charge a flat weekly fee. See our guide to key safes, personal alarms and telecare.
• Not planning for loss of capacity. If your parent may struggle to manage money, a Scottish power of attorney lets you deal with the council for them.

If home care is no longer enough, see NHS continuing care in Scotland or home care vs a care home.

Frequently asked questions

Is home care free in Scotland?

Personal care at home is free for any adult the council assesses as needing it. That includes help with washing, dressing, toileting, eating and medicines, whatever the person’s income or savings. Councils can still charge for other services, such as housework, shopping, day care, meals and community alarms, after a financial assessment that never counts the home.

How much do councils charge for home care in Scotland?

It depends on the council. Charges for non-personal care are means-tested under COSLA guidance, which protects income up to a benefit-based threshold plus a 25% buffer. In East Dunbartonshire in 2026/27, a single person over 60 keeps the first £298 a week of income and pays no more than 75% of the rest.

Do savings affect home care charges in Scotland?

Savings can increase charges for non-personal care, but there is no upper limit that stops council help. Savings above the council’s allowance are treated as extra weekly income, for example £1 for every £500 above £10,000 for over-60s in East Dunbartonshire. The value of the home your parent lives in is never counted.

Is a community alarm free in Scotland?

Usually not. Most councils charge a flat weekly fee for community alarms and telecare, often without a full financial assessment. East Dunbartonshire charges £4.85 a week in 2026/27. Ask whether the charge can be reduced on hardship grounds, and whether it is waived for people who are terminally ill.

Do I pay for home care if I arrange it privately in Scotland?

Yes. If you book an agency directly without a council assessment, you pay its full rate, including personal care. To get free personal care, ask the health and social care partnership for a needs assessment first. With a Self-directed Support direct payment, you can still choose your own agency.

Is reablement free in Scotland?

Most councils provide reablement after a hospital stay free for up to six weeks, as long as it is a short-term service rather than part of a longer package. After that, personal care stays free and other services may be charged. Check your council’s charging policy for its exact rules.

Sources

• Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002, Schedule 1: social care not ordinarily charged for
• Scottish Government: Free Personal and Nursing Care, definitions and eligibility
• Scottish Government: charging thresholds for non-residential services (25% buffer)
• East Dunbartonshire HSCP: non-residential charging policy 2026/27
• The Carers (Waiving of Charges for Support) (Scotland) Regulations 2014
• Scottish Government: removal of non-residential social care charging (FOI release)
• Scottish Government: social security up-rating for 2026-27
• Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002, section 10 (time limit)

General information, not legal or financial advice. Figures for 2026/27, checked October 2026.

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 29 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.