advice on paying for a care or nursing home
- Thread starter DUC748
- Start date
Hi DUC748 and welcome to TP,
Have a read of these 2 factsheets and see if it makes more sense.
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/E..._permanent_residential_care_fcs.pdf?dtrk=true
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/E..._home_if_you_have_a_partner_fcs.pdf?dtrk=true
I don't know your area but some things are nationwide.
When it comes to paying for care, a financial assessment will be made of Mum's finances only. Any joint account will be considered as 50% hers regardless of who puts what in. The house will be disregarded as long as they both live in it, so even if she had to go into care, it will be prevented from counting as it's still your Dad's main home.
If your Mum has more than £23,250 in savings, she will be classed as self-funding. Between £14,250 and £23,250 Social Services will contribute. Under £14,250 care should be free, though state pensions and half of private pensions would be used towards the funding.
When it comes to paying for care, a financial assessment will be made of Mum's finances only. Any joint account will be considered as 50% hers regardless of who puts what in. The house will be disregarded as long as they both live in it, so even if she had to go into care, it will be prevented from counting as it's still your Dad's main home.
If your Mum has more than £23,250 in savings, she will be classed as self-funding. Between £14,250 and £23,250 Social Services will contribute. Under £14,250 care should be free, though state pensions and half of private pensions would be used towards the funding.
Its fair to say that things are in a state of flux
I would be careful about making any immediate decisions on the facts as the currently are. You should ask about the situation of a home shared with another person post the introduction of the new care act and think about which government regime you think might be in force when your parent needs to spend a lot on care.
I made decisions on the situation then in place - the promise of a cap of 72,000 on care payments meaning that the money I lost from giving up my job would eventually filter back to me. The then government removed the care cap.
I would ask what people might think would be the most likely regulations in force in 3 years down the line as well as what exists now.
I would be careful about making any immediate decisions on the facts as the currently are. You should ask about the situation of a home shared with another person post the introduction of the new care act and think about which government regime you think might be in force when your parent needs to spend a lot on care.
I made decisions on the situation then in place - the promise of a cap of 72,000 on care payments meaning that the money I lost from giving up my job would eventually filter back to me. The then government removed the care cap.
I would ask what people might think would be the most likely regulations in force in 3 years down the line as well as what exists now.
As you discovered, a promise is just that and not the reality of a situation so they didn't remove the cap as it never became fact. In view of that I would be reluctant to advise anyone to base their decisions on what might be in place in the future.
Another source of helpful information might be the following from the AS.
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/downl...et_paying_for_care_and_support_in_england.pdf
You're right Beate, but I would also think it's unwise to expect that any changes will mean less ££ paid out for care by most self-funding people in the foreseeable future. The government is totally pre-occupied with Brexit and there's little time or energy left for other issues especially for a major rethink of social care before 2020. I would love to be wrong but just can't see it.
'Plan for the worst and hope for the best'.
'Plan for the worst and hope for the best'.
True - we all know that social care is underfunded and that it's probably going to get worse before it might get better. It's good to be prepared though for when the time for a care home comes by reading up on whatever system is in place at the time.
