A study of 2,000 Scots aged 55 and over has found most people have no plans to save for future care costs

The majority of Scots are failing to put money aside to meet potential care costs.

Only 12% of people aged 55 or over have set aside cash to pay for care home bills in the future, research by Which? has shown.

The study has sparked fears that people are failing to prepare for the future, with the social care system in Scotland already under stress.

Dr Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, the umbrella body for independent care providers, said: "If we are to continue to have and to further develop high quality rights based care for all our older citizens in Scotland then we need to start planning.

"The alternative is to sleep walk into a future where those who can afford to will purchase high quality care and those who cannot will be left with a poorly funded, resource drained, lesser alternative.”

Currently, those with savings or investments of more than £27,250 must pay for care home costs. The elderly are also entitled to free personal care to cover costs such as meals and bathing.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “In Scotland we are fully committed to providing free personal care, currently for those aged 65 and over, with this extending to those under 65 from 1 April 2019.

“In 2018/19, we’re giving an additional £66 million to local government to support implementation of the Carers (Scotland) Act, maintaining payment of the real Living Wage, and increasing payments for free personal and nursing care.”

Alex Hayman, Which? managing director of public markets, said: “The broken social care system cannot continue to fail older people and their families in delivering high-quality, affordable care when they most need support.

“The government must recognise that most people won’t have made extensive plans for their care, so the system must be designed to help people get the support they need at a time of crisis and stress for themselves and their loved ones.”