The HSE Fair Deal Scheme, Explained Simply

How the HSE Fair Deal Scheme works, in one paragraph

You apply to the HSE. They carry out two checks: a Care Needs Assessment (do you medically need long-term nursing home care?) and a Financial Assessment (how much can you afford to contribute?). Based on the financial assessment, you pay a fixed weekly contribution towards your care, and the HSE pays the balance directly to the nursing home. Your contribution is capped so it never takes everything — most notably, the value of your home is only counted for a maximum of three years. You can read the HSE's own overview on hse.ie.

Who can apply for the HSE Fair Deal Scheme?

The scheme is open to anyone living in Ireland who is assessed as needing long-term residential care. There's no lower age limit and no means test to get in — the financial assessment only decides how much you contribute, not whether you qualify. You can choose any approved nursing home (public, private or voluntary) that has a place and can meet your needs. See the official HSE eligibility details for the current rules.

What does the HSE Fair Deal Scheme pay for?

Fair Deal covers long-term nursing home care: your bed, board, nursing and personal care, and basic aids and appliances. It does not cover things like a GP's fees, therapies not provided by the home, or personal spending money. It also isn't for short-term or convalescent care — that's funded differently.

What will you actually pay? The HSE financial assessment

This is the part everyone wants to understand. The HSE looks at your income and your assets and works out a weekly contribution:

• Income: you contribute up to 80% of your assessable income (things like pensions). A couple is assessed on half their combined income.
• Assets: you contribute 7.5% of the value of your assets per year (savings, investments, property). A general asset disregard applies — a set amount is excluded before the 7.5% is calculated, and the HSE publishes the current figure.
• Your home — the three-year cap: your principal residence is included in the asset calculation, but only for a maximum of three years. After three years, your home stops being counted, even if you're still in care. This is the single most important protection in the scheme — see our guide to the 3-year cap.

Because the exact figures and disregards are updated by the HSE from time to time, always confirm the current numbers on the official HSE financial-assessment page — and use our calculator for a personalised estimate.

A worked example (illustrative only)

Take a widowed pensioner with a €280/week pension, a home worth €300,000 and €40,000 in savings. Broadly: 80% of income (about €224/week) plus 7.5% a year of assessable assets (the home and savings above the disregard, spread across the year) — with the home counted for only three years. After year three the home drops out of the calculation and the weekly contribution falls accordingly. Every situation differs and the disregards change, so treat this only as an illustration — the calculator is what gives you a figure for your own circumstances.

Couples and the Fair Deal Scheme

When one person in a couple goes into care, the assessment is based on half the couple's combined income and assets, which protects the partner remaining at home. The three-year cap on the home applies to their share as well. See our dedicated guide on Fair Deal for couples.

Farmers and business owners

There's a specific protection so that a family farm or business isn't sold to fund care: in qualifying cases the three-year cap can be applied to farm and business assets too. The conditions are strict, so check the current HSE rules or take advice.

The optional Nursing Home Loan (Ancillary State Support)

You don't have to pay the portion of your contribution that relates to your home out of cash. Instead you can apply for the Nursing Home Loan, where the HSE pays it for you and recovers it later from your estate. This part is administered together with Revenue. It's optional, but it's why many families can keep the home during the person's lifetime — see our Nursing Home Loan guide.

How to apply for the HSE Fair Deal Scheme, step by step

1. Get the application form — from your local Nursing Home Support Office or the HSE website. We explain it in full on our HSE Fair Deal application form page.
2. Complete the Care Needs Assessment section — this establishes the medical need.
3. Complete the Financial Assessment and gather your supporting documents (pension statements, bank statements, property details). Our required documents guide lists exactly what you need.
4. Submit to the HSE and, if you want it, apply for the Nursing Home Loan at the same time. See the HSE application process.
5. Wait for approval — typically around four to six weeks — then choose your approved nursing home. Browse homes by county in our nursing home directory.

Appeals

If you disagree with the HSE's decision — on care needs or on the financial assessment — you have the right to appeal. There's a set timeframe, so act promptly and keep copies of everything.

Official HSE and government resources

We always recommend reading the source. The official pages are:

• HSE — Fair Deal scheme (overview)
• HSE — About the Fair Deal scheme
• HSE — How to apply for Fair Deal
• HSE — Financial assessment
• Citizens Information — Fair Deal scheme
• Revenue — Nursing Home (Fair Deal) Loan

Frequently asked questions