Financial assessments for care

Last updated: 13 June 2019

If you need care support, ask your local council's social work department for an assessment of your care needs.

If you're assessed as needing services which have a charge, the council will also carry out a financial assessment to decide how much – if anything – you need to pay towards the cost of services.

What happens during a financial assessment

Your local council will look at your income and savings, and decide how much you can afford to contribute towards paying for services. It might consider whether you have access to other income, which will also be taken into account.

If you disagree with the amount you're asked to pay, you can ask for a review.

If you do not want a financial assessment, you can refuse one. This means you'll have to pay the full cost of any service arranged for you.

If your circumstances change, you can ask for a reassessment at any time.

Charging policies

The council may charge for providing some care services. The social work department should give you details of charges in its charging policy.

No matter what organisations you get services from, they should tell you what their service will include and how much it'll cost before the service begins.

Direct payments

You have the right to request your financial help in direct payments. This means you can arrange your own home care or employ your own home care worker. This is one aspect of self-directed support.

Financial assessment for care homes

If you're assessed as needing to stay in a care home and you cannot pay the full cost, your local council will carry out a financial assessment for you.

The financial assessment will work out how much you can pay towards the standard rate of care home fees.

Further information

Carers Scotland has a factsheet on getting assessments in Scotland.