Cost of flagship free care soars 70% – new report

The bill for Scotland’s flagship free elderly care deal has soared by almost 70% in six years to £358 million, a new report says. For the first time, the cost of providing free personal and nursing care to eligible care home residents has crossed the £100m mark, while the cost of keeping the promise to pensioners living in their own homes has doubled since the policy was launched, to £257m.

It means the policy now costs each Scottish taxpayer the equivalent of £150 a year and comes as plans are being drawn up south of the border to bring in a means-tested system, which would help only the most needy.

Public Health Minister Shona Robison said the controversial scheme was improving the lives of more than 50,000 vulnerable older people in Scotland.

However, with the number of over-75s predicted to double in Scotland in the next 25 years, there is particular pressure on social services.

Ron Culley, head of the health and social care team for local authority body Cosla, said: “We will have to work with the Scottish Government to ensure we reshape older people’s care because everyone knows that it is unsustainable in the future as it is. What we need to do is devise a new system.”

The landmark care package was introduced in Scotland in 2002, giving all pensioners who needed help with personal tasks such as washing this assistance for free, no matter what their means.

Part of the increase in spending on personal care at home was because of a shift towards more complex forms of care being provided.

Other factors included higher wage costs through local authority equal pay provisions, and the reimbursement of charges for meal preparation.

The new figures show the number of care home residents receiving free personal care has risen by 15% since 2003-04 to 9580 and the number of people receiving free personal care at home has risen 36% since 2003-04, to 44,660.

Lindsay Scott, communications manager for Age Concern and Help the Aged in Scotland, said: “It is annoying that every time the red pen is out paring off things, the quick fix is to say free personal care costs too much. There is no justification for that.”

Ms Robison said: “The Scottish Government has accepted each of the recommendations made by Lord Sutherland in his review of free personal and nursing care – including the added financial commitment of an extra £40m per year.”