A FUNDING row erupted yesterday as older people in Scotland began having their personal care fees paid.

The Government faced calls to end the postcode lottery which sees the elderly in England miss out on financial help with washing, dressing and eating, which is received free by the over-65s in Scotland.

Yesterday, Unison, the largest public sector union, condemned the present system of means testing in England and Wales.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "Why is it that our older people are not entitled to be treated with the same dignity and respect as their counterparts in Scotland?

"This situation is unfair, confusing and discriminates against the elderly and disabled."

In 1999, the Royal Commission on Long-Term Care made a series of recommendations, including free personal care.

Although the Government did not agreed to free personal care, it did agree to provide free nursing care from October 1, last year.

However, nursing care must be administered by a registered nurse to be free and not nursing or care assistants, who make up a large proportion of the workers looking after the elderly.

Sue Pearson, chief executive of Age Concern Newcastle, said: "The divisiveness of this is a problem in our region, where, if you live a few miles south of the border, it can make a big difference. Surely that can't be right?"

David Abrahams, national director of North-East charity Campaign Against Pensioners' Poverty, said he hoped it would be an issue a North-East Regional Assembly would be able to take up.

"Scotland has got this through its own parliament and it is why I am in favour of regional government," he said.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said the Government had accepted the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Long-Term Care, except over the provision of free personal care.

She said the Government had provided £320m over two years to provide NHS funding for care people had previously had to pay for themselves.