Care costs once less than 23500 in savings?

[malengwa]

Hi. Mum has enough savings to last we think about 18 months or so before she goes below the 23500, or whatever it is. Does anyone know how they work out the contribution after this? Does it depe d on the LA or the cost of the home? Is it a small amount so it will be a while before it drops to below the 14000?

I'm aware that some people are saying the care home is expecting to see evidence of at least two years self funding but I've not come across it yet. And mum doesn't have it.

 

[nitram]

Does anyone know how they work out the contribution after this? Does it depe d on the LA or the cost of the home? Is it a small amount so it will be a while before it drops to below the 14000?

First have a read through
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/downl...et_paying_for_care_and_support_in_england.pdf
If you don't think your circumstances are covered post back and members will try to help you.

 

[LizK]

Before my husband was accepted into a nursing home, I had to sign that he had enough savings to fund 3 years care.

Liz

 

[Baker17]

Hi. Mum has enough savings to last we think about 18 months or so before she goes below the 23500, or whatever it is. Does anyone know how they work out the contribution after this? Does it depe d on the LA or the cost of the home? Is it a small amount so it will be a while before it drops to below the 14000?

I'm aware that some people are saying the care home is expecting to see evidence of at least two years self funding but I've not come across it yet. And mum doesn't have it.

My husband went into care in July and I knew he had enough to pay the full amount until the end of December, when he would be down to the £23500,I contacted the adult social financial team and they worked out what the funding from them would be and how much he would need to pay from his pensions, if the amount the care home charge is above what the social services standard payment is, in our case they pay £555 per week, because the home my husband is in is more than that a third party has to pay what they call the top up, which I am paying because I am happy where he is

 

[SnowWhite]

I think if you go below £14,000 in savings you get it all paid. Obviously they take your pension and you are left with a bit of pocket money.

My Mum was paying £650 a week as a self funder but the lady who got her room when we removed her is paying just £30 a week her family told us as the LA pay.

 

[jenniferpa]

There is a formula for this. Once the la is funding, they will pay whatever there funding rate is, less all of a state pension + 50% of a private pension if there is a spouse or all of that private pension if there isn't, less 1 pound per 250 of savings per week until you drop to the lower level (aka tariff income) minus the personal expense allowance. If the care home requires more than this you are looking at either a top up or a Care home move.

 

[lemonjuice]

There is a formula for this. Once the la is funding, they will pay whatever there funding rate is, less all of a state pension + 50% of a private pension if there is a spouse or all of that private pension if there isn't, . . . .

@jenniferpa Did you mean
the la is funding, they will pay whatever there funding rate is,plus 'all of a state pension + 50% of a private pension ?

I've just worked out my mother's and that would mean a shortfall of around £1000 per month top up! That's bad enough but if I deducted my mother's income it was a £3000 a month shortfall! Who earns that amount per month let alone be able to pay all of that towards their parents care per month?

 

[Pete R]

Unfortunately Jennifer is correct. Any pension is taken by the LA to offset their contribution.

For my Mom the LA funding was £440/week but due to pensions they actually only contributed £260.

 

[malengwa]

Thanks for the 'formula' that was what I was looking for. Not that it's immediately needed, but just planning ahead. I look at Mum and don't think she has that long, but then I've read ma y of your stories...

My bigger issue just now is that some of mums money is tied up in bonds and I don't know what happens when we try to access it. I know usually it's an interest penalty but i've heard stories of building societies refusing early closure. On my TDL along with a heap of other stuff.

 

[lemonjuice]

Unfortunately Jennifer is correct. Any pension is taken by the LA to offset their contribution.

For my Mom the LA funding was £440/week but due to pensions they actually only contributed £260.

My mother has just recently died (last Sunday) so this would no longer be relevant for me but that seems an impossible situation. There is no way my husband and I together earn that sort of money, let alone be able to use that income for a top-up.. Even supposing one could find a NH charging just £2000 a month (and I know of no Home charging anywhere as little as that), it would still equate to a £1500 a month top-up.

EDITI 've also worked out that my mother's shortfall was £2400 whilst self-funding and therefore she had savings to dip into for that, but after her savings would have fallen below the threshold the shortfall would actually have increased by 25%. We were very near the threshold (March next year) and so I can be very grateful that we are not now facing this problem.
There must be something wrong with the system, when someone spends apprx £250 000 in care costs and still doesn't have enough to cover and then has to rely on their children- whose potential to 'help out' is virtually nil and as they will then not inherit anything from their parents have no ability to save for their own future care costs and build up those type of savings for the future.

 

[Pete R]

My Mom's top up is around £660/week.

With the last move the cheapest NH the SW could find was £800/week. The finance director sent it back to her with instructions to find cheaper. With a very recent death at one NH she had to go with that at £440/week. There was nothing in between.

The system stinks.

 

[lemonjuice]

My Mom's top up is around £660/week.

How on earth do you find that amount of money? Especially if you're an only child as I am and retired yourself.

I was fortunate in that my mother's fees were actually less than others in the same Home, because she had a very small room. But then she didn't need anything except a bed and space around it for a hoist /carers and drawers for nightclothes. Plus the all important radio/CD player, which somehow made the room more bearable and I trust better for my mother's well-being.
That was the emergency room she went into initially and as at that time I assumed she wouldn't last more than 6 months so stuck with it.

As months turned into years, very nearly 6 years , I was reluctant to move her initially and later grateful that we were thereby running her savings down less, so just stuck with it. It wasn't as if she would have benefitted by a larger room as she had no reaction to her environment.

I'd given up work to look after her and my in-laws and reliant on my husband's income and there was no way we could have afforded any top-ups at all. In the interim of course I reached retirement age making the situation even more difficult to provide any top-up especially as with care either for children or elderly parents my State Pension was not great..

 

[Pete R]

How on earth do you find that amount of money? Especially if you're an only child as I am and retired yourself.

I might as well have been an only child when Mom needed care. The only thing that my "invisible" sister ever did to help with Mom's care, apart from keeping out of the way, was to marry well.

Long way from retirement for me.