I’m concerned my mother wont be able to afford anything.

[LJJ]

Hi everyone, thank you for taking the time to read this question. My mum has been assessed and I have been told she has been granted £30 a week to pay for anything over her residential care costs. She has no savings. No property to sell. So will not be able to buy new clothing, shoes, bedding, dental treatment, eye glasses. She currently likes and is able to read on her Ipad a newspaper, books on her kindle app, all of which help to stimulate and keep her mind active. She also has a life insurance and funeral plan which both are intended to pay for the same thing. She had incurred arrears with domiciliary care and now has arrears with the delay in the council taking too long to tell us their financial expectation of the cost of her care. They pay £700+ a week for her care and expect her to pay £240 a week. Is there an appeal process i can go through or a charity which advocate to determine if her care should be fully funded. Or am i helpless to help her. She has been diagnosed with both Alzheimers and dementia has debts and iscoming up to her 83rd birthday. Lives in a care home in London. Really appreciate any info anyone can provide. Ive was asked to sign a contract on her behalf. Which i did as i did not know if i had a choice.

 

[Jessbow]

Thats the standard formula , everyone is left with £30 pounds 'pocket money'. No one is every 'fully funded' unless they get CHC funding, which it doesnt sound as though your mother would qualify for.

maybe the debt could be frozen until her life insurance eventually pays ou.

When you say people have 'take their time' , how much arrears has built up and where has her money been spent in the meantime?

 

[canary]

When people talk about the LA fully funding care fees they mean it from the LA point of view - ie, the persons savings are below the lower threshold and the LA is paying their maximum amount for that person.

The person in residential care will still have to pay the amount of their pensions, though (with the exception of just under £30 a week and spouses can be "gifted" half of any private pensions) and I think this is what the bills are

 

[SherwoodSue]

Mum reads an awful lot. I have recently found out that she qualifies for a monthly free library delivery of books. Also there is a Libby on line library service also free. May help stretch the £80 pocket money. x

 

[Dave63]

Hi @LJJ

As others have pointed out the £30 is the standard Personal Expense Allowance that LA funded residents are left with once all their other income has been assessed. The following article explains how the Means Test works:

Paying for permanent residential care | Paying for a care home | Age UK

Care home fees can range hugely depending on the facilities or location of the home. Find out how to make residential home costs manageable from Age UK.

www.ageuk.org.uk

You say her debts are due to domiciliary care arrears. Was this domiciliary care provided by the local authority? If so, it may be worth giving the financial assessment team a call and ask how these debts have been dealt with when they've carried out the assessment.

 

[mhw]

Make sure what you signed wasnt the top up agreement or any shortfall in fees etc you've agreed to cover by signing

 

[I thank you for the years]

it would be worth seeing if your Mum qualifies for free dental care & eye glasses through the NHS Low Income Scheme.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/nhs-low-income-scheme-lis/

 

[LJJ]

Thats the standard formula , everyone is left with £30 pounds 'pocket money'. No one is every 'fully funded' unless they get CHC funding, which it doesnt sound as though your mother would qualify for.

maybe the debt could be frozen until her life insurance eventually pays ou.

When you say people have 'take their time' , how much arrears has built up and where has her money been spent in the meantime?

I’m sorry I am a little confused. Thank you for your reply but what is CHC and how does one qualify. The money has been spent on arrears from domicillary care. Provided by the local authority . I have stopped the DD. Mum has debt beyond what she owes the local authority. I have not had a lot of help. With information until I told mums SW I could no longer cope. That is when I was given this site. What did you think. She’s had exotic holidays

 

[Dave63]

Thank you for your reply but what is CHC and how does one qualify.

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs20_nhs_continuing_healthcare_and_nhs-funded_nursing_care_fcs.pdf

 

[Jessbow]

I’m sorry I am a little confused. Thank you for your reply but what is CHC and how does one qualify. The money has been spent on arrears from domicillary care. Provided by the local authority . I have stopped the DD. Mum has debt beyond what she owes the local authority. I have not had a lot of help. With information until I told mums SW I could no longer cope. That is when I was given this site. What did you think. She’s had exotic holidays

No, I never even dreamed she'd had exotic holidays. Presumably she has a pension and other benefits coming in- you say she has been paying off arrears- presumably she was assessed as able to pay for domicilary care , or she'd have recieved the care free.
I am sure I am not the only one confused.
She may have other debts, but they may have to be frozen until her life inurance eventually pays out.
Are you in touch wih any agencies like Step change?

 

[LJJ]

No, I never even dreamed she'd had exotic holidays. Presumably she has a pension and other benefits coming in- you say she has been paying off arrears- presumably she was assessed as able to pay for domicilary care , or she'd have recieved the care free.
I am sure I am not the only one confused.
She may have other debts, but they may have to be frozen until her life inurance eventually pays out.
Are you in touch wih any agencies like Step change?

Hi yes her pension was used to pay for dom care and other costs while living with me. I asked if £30 is the pocket money/weekly allowance to all. Do you know? Whether a person have savings or not, no worries if not. Yes I’m in the process of sorting things with step change for mum.

 

[Dave63]

I asked if £30 is the pocket money/weekly allowance to all. Do you know?

It is. It's called the Personal Expense Allowance and is the amount set aside from a persons income to pay for whatever they want, as long as it's not towards their care. The minimum amount (in England) is currently £30.15.

https://www.carehome.co.uk/advice/personal-expenses-allowance-pea-in-care-homes

 

[Jessbow]

Hi yes her pension was used to pay for dom care and other costs while living with me. I asked if £30 is the pocket money/weekly allowance to all. Do you know? Whether a person have savings or not, no worries if not. Yes I’m in the process of sorting things with step change for mum.

Yes it is, that the standard ammount everyone is allowed


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