Local authorities have, for a long time, assessed the value of a person’s assets if that person is in need of being taken into care – with the intention that the assets can be used to pay for the care-home costs. This applies to everyone, crofters included. Assets may include cash, investments, ‘valuables’, buildings, land and so on.
A relatively new thing that is specific to crofting is that local authorities are considering a croft tenancy to be an asset which may be valued and the value realised, even though the land is actually owned by someone other than the tenant. This is an unusual situation and contentious. Tenancies are not valued as an asset in any other situation that we know of, but then crofting tenure is unique. Read in full here.