THE cost of free personal and nursing care has topped half a billion pounds for the first time.

Official figures showed taxpayers paid out £502m in 2016-17, up from £371m a decade ago.

Around 76,000 in Scotland benefited from free care, around 45,800 living in their own homes and some 30,700 in residential care homes.

The average number of hours of care per week was 8.8 last year, the highest it has been under the SNP, up from 7.1 hours in 2007-08, reflecting greater levels of need.

Free personal care includes assistance with dressing, washing, food, and laundry changes.

In 2007-8, councils spent £267m on personal care services for over-65s living in their own homes, and £104m on self-funding care home residents.

By last year that had risen to £379m on care in the home, and £123m for residential care.

The national statistics publication Free Personal and Nursing Care Scotland 2016-17 suggested the growing costs were due to a shift away from residential and hospital care to more care in people’s homes.

It also contained a warning that extending free care to dementia sufferers under 65 from April 2019 - known as Frank’s Law - could add significant costs.

Whereas the average person receives 8.8 hours of free care per week, those eligible under Frank’s Law are more likely to need care of around 20 hours a week.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Scotland continues to be the only country in the UK that provides free personal care, with more than 76,000 older people benefitting during the 2016-17 year.

“We have committed to extending free personal care by April 2019, to adults aged under 65 who need it, and we are working on implementation alongside our advisory group of representatives from councils, health and social care partnerships, care providers and others.

“In 2018-19 we provided an additional £66m to local authorities to support implementation of the Carers Act, maintain payment of the real Living Wage and increase payments for free personal and nursing care.”

Scottish LibDem social care spokesperson Karen Clark said: “Extending help to under 65s with degenerative conditions - Frank's Law - can't come soon enough.

"However, problems have been allowed to mount on the Health Secretary's desk, with a recruitment crisis in the sector and people stuck in hospital for months on end because a care package can't be arranged for them. "It is time that the Scottish Government sorted it out."

Dr Donald Macaskill, chief executive of care home body Scottish Care, said: “In the years to come these figures will keep rising and so they should.

"Firstly, because people are living longer. Secondly, because if we want a decent quality care system which supports the human rights and dignity of those Scots who need it, we cannot get care on the cheap. A civilised society should be spending a lot more on care.”