Changes to care charges
What is happening?
People who get help at home (not in a care home), currently do not pay for this help.
This is called non-residential care.
In some other parts of Scotland, people do have to pay for some care. These are called chargeable services.
What might change?
The Council decided that no one will have to pay any new charges until 1 April 2026.
We want to talk to people with chargeable services before anything changes, so we can explain what it might mean for you and help you get ready
What happens next?
We want to speak to lots of people.
This will help us:
Check if the changes are fair
We will update something called an EFRIA.
That means Equalities, Fairness and Rights Impact Assessment.
This helps us make sure your views on charging are shared with decision makers.
Help people get all the money they can
We will check if you can get more money or benefits.
This is called income maximisation.
Work out how many people might pay, and how much
We will look at how much people might have to pay, based on how much money they have.
We will work with you to do a financial assessment.
You will only pay towards your care if you can afford it.
This video explains the financial assessment process
How will we do this?
We are working with a team called MART.
This stands for Money Advice and Rights Team.
They are part of the Council but work independently.
MART can:
- Help you get more money if you are missing out (income maximisation)
- Look at your money (financial assessment)
- Check if you will need to pay for care
MART's help is:
- free
- confidential - MART do not share your information
Your information is kept safe and private. This follows data protection rules (called GDPR).
Last year, MART helped over 5,500 people with income maximisation. Together, they helped people get over £10 million.
How to contact MART
- Phone: 0141 577 8420
- Monday to Friday, 8:45am to 4:45pm (3:55pm on Friday)
- Contact them online
Tell MART if you need extra help with your appointment.
Attend our drop-in sessions
At these sessions you can speak to staff from the HSCP, MART, East RenfrewshireCarers Centre, East Renfrewshire Self Directed Support (SDS) Forum to;
- find out more about how charging will work
- ask questions
- help us get your views for the fairness check (EFRIA)
Day | Time | Location |
Every Monday in July | 12pm - 4pm | Drumby room, ground floor, Eastwood Health and Care Centre, Drumby Cres, Clarkston, G76 7HN |
Every Wednesday in July | 10am - 1pm | Room G40, ground floor, Barrhead Health and Care Centre, 213 Main St, Barrhead, G78 1SA |
Other documents you might find helpful
- information on MART services
- copy of the financial assessment form
- The Council Paper can be viewed here
- The Equality, Fairness and Rights Impact Assessment (EFRIA) for the proposal is also available to view. Please note this will be updated following the information sessions/people sharing their views
Social Work (Monday to Friday, 8:45am to 4:45pm)
- 0141 800 7850
- https://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/contact-hscp
East Renfrewshire Carers Centre
East Renfrewshire SDS Forum
- 0141 638 2525
- admin@sdsforumer.org
- https://sdsforumer.org/
Need support with this information?
We can help people understand this:
- in a way that is easier for you to understand
- in another language
To arrange this:
- Call us on 0141 800 7850
- or email: HSCPPA@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Regrettably, our financial position, the demand for services and the increasing complexity of need, means we are working towards introducing charging from 1 April 2026.
Charges will be linked to the ability to pay and this will be established through a financial assessment.
We are working with the Council Money Advice and Rights Team (MART) to implement the policy so we can ensure residents have access to everything they are entitled to.
This will be based solely on the individual's circumstances, not the household.
We would ask that if someone experiences material changes in their income during the year, they should contact us for a reassessment.
The financial assessment will be on the individual receiving care and their disposable income.
The financial assessment of the person receiving support may have an effect on the households overall disposable income and you may wish to ensure that you are receiving all the financial support that you are entitled to.
East Renfrewshire Carers' Centre can assist with this. www.eastrenfrewshirecarers.co.uk as can the Council Money Advice and Rights Team (MART) https://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/mart
The EFRIA that was presented to Full Council on 6 February 2025 can be viewed here and we will be working over the summer to update this before presenting this back to Full Council on 22 October 2025.
We also have a group of people with lived experience who are helping us get our communications and engagement for implementation right. If you would like to join this group email HSCPPA@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
June - August 2025:
- Offer income maximisation
- Offer financial assessments
- Update ERFIA
22 October 2025:
Update Full Council on the progress of the above
1 April 2026: Charges introduced