"Free personal care" is one of the most widely-known facts about Scotland's social care system โ and one of the most widely misunderstood. It's real, and it's genuinely valuable. It is not, however, the same as "care in Scotland is free."
Scotland's Free Personal and Nursing Care (FPNC) policy means the personal-care tasks themselves โ washing, dressing, help with medication, continence support โ are provided without a means test. This started in 2002 for people aged 65 and over, and was extended to all adults assessed as needing personal care, regardless of age, under what's commonly called Frank's Law in 2019.
ยฃ248.70 a week, paid to self-funding care home residents (2024โ25 rate).
ยฃ111.90 a week on top, for those with assessed nursing needs (2024โ25 rate).
If the person you care for moves into a care home, the FPNC payments above only offset the personal-care and nursing elements of the bill. Accommodation โ the "hotel" cost of the room, meals, heating, laundry โ is still means-tested and usually still charged, the same way it would be in England or Wales. Free personal care reduces a care home bill; it doesn't remove it.
At home, the picture is different again. For personal care delivered in someone's own home, the policy's intent is that the personal-care component itself isn't charged for, regardless of income. The exact local payment mechanics can vary by council โ if you're arranging home care, ask your local authority's social work team directly how FPNC is applied to your specific care package, rather than assuming a single UK-wide figure applies.
If you're a carer yourself, note that Scotland no longer uses the UK-wide Carer's Allowance for new claims โ it's been replaced by Carer Support Payment, administered by Social Security Scotland, rolling out area by area since late 2023. If you're claiming for the first time, check socialsecurity.gov.scot directly for whether Carer Support Payment is live in your area yet, since the rollout schedule has been changing.
The Entitlements Checker covers UK-wide payments alongside Scotland-specific ones like Carer Support Payment.
๐ฐ Entitlements Checker ๐ฌ๐ง UK Guide HubLast verified: October 2026. FPNC rates shown are the published 2024โ25 figures โ these are typically uprated annually, so check gov.scot for the current year's rate before relying on the exact number. Carer Support Payment rollout status also changes โ confirm directly with Social Security Scotland.
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