BBC News Online provides you with answers to the main questions being asked about the new system.

For people living in their own homes

Q: My local authority currently charges for my personal care services. Will these be abolished?

A: Yes, if you are aged 65 or over.

Q: How do I find out if I am eligible to receive free personal care?

A: You must ask your local authority to carry out a care needs assessment. A care package will be agreed to meet your needs. You will not have to pay for the personal care you are assessed as needing.

Q: Although I own my own home, have savinsg and a private pension, will I still be entitled to free personal care?

A: Yes. Free personal care is available regardless of your income and capital.

Q: What will I still have to pay for?

A: Non-personal care such as day care, lunch clubs, meals on wheels, community alarms and help with shopping and housework.

Q: Will the local authority still be able to charge me for my home help?

A: Yes. This is a non-personal care service.

Q: I will be moving to Scotland after 1 July 2002. Will I still be entitled to free personal care?

A: If someone moves to Scotland as a permanent resident, they will be entitled to the same provision as any other person living in Scotland.

For people living in care homes

Q: My care home costs are already being fully paid from public funds. Will there be any change?

A: No.

Q: I fully fund my own care. What contribution will I be entitled to?

A: You can claim a contribution of �145 a week towards the cost of personal care and a further �65 a week if you also require nursing care.

Q: Will the �145 or �210 be paid to me or the care home?

A: To the care home.

Q: I partially fund my care home costs. Will I see any change?

A: If the local authority contribution towards your care home costs is less than �145 a week, it will be increased to �145, or �210 a week if you also require nursing care.

Q: Will I have to undergo a care needs assessment from the local authority?

A: If you moved into a care home before 31 March 2002, no. If you moved into a care home after that date, you will have to ask for an assessment to be done to determine whether or not you are eligible for payments.

Q: I am under 65. Can I receive the free personal care contribution of �145 a week?

A: You will not be eligible for the personal care payment. You may be eligible for the nursing care payment of �65 a week.

Q: I am under 65. If I am eligible to receive the �65 a week, will I lose my entitlement to disability living allowance?

A: No.

Q: Can I request a place in a care home outside Scotland and still receive free personal care from my Scottish local authority?

A: Yes. But you must ordinarily be resident in Scotland to receive free personal care.

Q: I currently live outside Scotland. Can I move into a care home in Scotland and receive free personal care?

A: The normal rules of ordinary residence apply. You should contact your local authority for more information.

Q: What do I still need to pay for?

A: Your everyday housing and living costs. In practice, this means you will pay the balance of your care costs after the deduction of �145 or �210 a week.

Q: I am due to go into a care home. How do I know if I will be a self-funder?

A: These rules will not change. If you capital assets amount to less than �11,500, the state will still pay the full costs of your care. Some of your state pension will still need to be put towards the cost. You can retain at least �16.80 a week as a personal allowance.

If you capital assets aer between �11,500 and �18,500, you will still be expected to contribute a proportion of your assets towards the cost of your care.

If you have capital assets of more than �18,500, you will be expected to use them to fund the parts of your care not covered by the new system. These are the non-personal care such as everyday living costs and anything over the �145 personal and �210 nursing care payments.