Fair Deal (Nursing Homes Support Scheme)
Last reviewed: 17 July 2026
If you're a step removed from day-to-day care — sorting this out for a parent or relative from a distance, or alongside a sibling who's more hands-on — this is the guide for working out fast whether Fair Deal applies, roughly what it will cost, and what to do next. This covers the Republic of Ireland scheme only; there is no equivalent scheme with this name anywhere else, so don't rely on anything you find that isn't specific to Ireland.
1. The most common starting point: does your relative need long-term nursing home care?
Fair Deal — officially the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) — only applies tolong-term nursing home care. It does not cover short-term respite, convalescent stays, or day care.
If a GP, hospital consultant, or public health nurse has said your relative needs long-term nursing home care, or you're actively exploring it because home isn't manageable any more, continue to step 2. If you're not sure yet whether nursing home care is the right call, that's a needs question, not a funding one —see the signs it might be time to step in first.
2. What will they actually pay?
Fair Deal doesn't set a flat fee. Instead, the HSE carries out a financial assessment and works out a personal contribution based on income and assets. The HSE then pays the difference between that contribution and the actual cost of care, in any Fair Deal–approved nursing home, regardless of what that home charges.
Having a Medical Card doesn't change what someone pays under Fair Deal — the two are assessed separately, so don't assume one affects the other.
According to hse.ie, the contribution is worked out as:
- If applying alone: 80% of assessable income, plus 7.5% per year of cash assets (savings, shares) and 7.5% per year of the value of property or land — with the first €36,000 of assets disregarded.
- If applying as a couple: 40% of combined assessable income, plus 3.75% per year of combined cash assets and 3.75% per year of combined property/land — with the first €72,000 of combined assets disregarded.
These are HSE-published rates as of this review date — always checkthe current financial assessment page on hse.iebefore relying on a number for a real application, since rates can change.
3. Do they own their home (or a farm or business)? The 3-year cap matters
This is the part people worry about most, and it's better than most assume: the contribution based on the family home is capped at 3 years, even if your relative stays in care for longer.
- Single applicant: maximum 22.5% of the home's value in total (7.5% a year, for up to 3 years).
- Couple: maximum 11.25% of the home's value in total (3.75% a year, for up to 3 years).
- After 3 years of care, no further contribution is taken based on the home — even if care continues for years afterwards.
- If your relative has already been in care for 3 years or more when they apply, the home isn't included in the assessment at all.
A working farm or business can qualify for the same 3-year cap in some circumstances. This gets specific to individual family situations fast — if it applies to you, raise it directly with the Nursing Homes Support Office handling the application (step 5).
Don't want to sell the home to pay the contribution? The scheme includes an optional nursing home loan (ancillary state support), which lets the property-based part of the contribution be deferred and paid back later, usually from the estate after death, rather than paid up front. Check the current terms onhse.ie's Fair Deal scheme pagebefore assuming how it applies to your situation.
4. Do the numbers not add up, or does something feel unfair?
If you disagree with the financial assessment once it comes back in writing, you can appeal it. According to hse.ie, you have around 40 working days (about 8 weeks) from the decision to lodge an appeal.
Contact the National Appeals Service — details are issued with the decision letter, or ask your Nursing Homes Support Office to point you to the current appeals contact. Do this in writing and keep a copy.
5. Ready to apply — what's the actual process?
According to hse.ie, applying for Fair Deal works in four steps:
- Complete the application form — it's a single form that covers both the care needs assessment and the financial assessment. Download the current version fromhse.ie, and check the document checklist inside it — a missing document is the most common cause of delay.
- Care needs assessment — the HSE arranges an assessment of daily-living ability and care needs to confirm long-term nursing home care is appropriate.
- Financial assessment — the HSE works out the contribution using the income and asset rates in step 2, and confirms it in writing.
- Approval and placement — once approved, funding starts from the approval date. It is not backdated, so don't delay applying while still weighing up the decision.
Send the completed form and documents to your local Nursing Homes Support Office — this is organised by county, not one national address. If you don't know which office covers your relative's area, or you get stuck at any step,call HSE Live on 1800 700 700 (Monday–Friday 8am–8pm, Saturday 9am–5pm) and ask them to point you to it.
Still not sure where you stand?
Fair Deal is just one entitlement in a wider set —Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, and the Medical Card are separate schemes with their own rules and thresholds, and this site covers each on its own page. If your relative isn't at the long-term nursing home stage yet, theHSE Home Support Service is the non-cash support worth checking first. If you're not sure which one is relevant to your situation, or Fair Deal turns out not to be the right fit,call Citizens Information on 0818 07 4000 (Monday–Friday, 9am–8pm) — this is the Republic of Ireland service and covers all of these schemes. Seecitizensinformation.ie.
For a wider map of who to contact for what, seeWho do I call? andWhere to get help.