Means Test for Home care

[charlie10]

FiL is to have a Means test from SS to decide if they want any of their past subsidies for home carers back. I was looking on AgeUK for more insight as to what it involves and found this:

"Make sure you get all of your benefits and entitlements. That’s because the means test will assume you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to, even if you aren't already claiming them."

FiL is very resistant to claiming anything he may be entitled to as he fears appearing on 'official' radars so he may not have claimed Pension Credit and Council Tax support, and I know he refuses to claim for Attendance Allowance.....altogether that could be in the region of 125 pounds a week (I did their Benefits calculator but I had to guess some of the figures I put in). Will SS think he should be getting these and add them to his pension as income, or does the means test go purely on his savings (over the threshold so probably self financing?)

Our aim is to stop him cancelling all paid help when he finds out he has to pay up, and if we could get him to claim what he's entitled to it would go a long way to paying carers, but we're still struggling with the LPA resistance

 

[AD123]

Yes they will tell you to claim what your FIL is entitled to and will take these into consideration when doing the means test.

 

[witts1973]

How does that work then in terms of ss deciding they may want some money back,I thought you either had to pay for care fully or ss pay something towards care.

I think attendance allowance for the higher rate is about £330 a month so it's a good idea to claim that,that can also pave the way for somebody to claim carers allowance

If he has over £23,250 in savings he will be a self funder

With regards to council tax you he will getting a good saving there,I'm not sure if completely disregarded or maybe a 25% fee has to be paid,somebody will clear that up I'm sure

 

[Sirena]

I think you'd have to discuss it with the person doing the means test.

Claiming AA wouldn't put him on any kind of radar, they just pay the money into the bank and that's that. My mother started claiming nearly a year ago and I haven't been offered anything/contacted by anyone as a result. I suspect the same goes for the other benefits. I think elderly people over-estimate how interested SS are - and anyway, he's on their radar as they are doing a means test.

I can't remember if anyone has LPA for him? I filled the AA forms out as my mother's attorney, she had no input and knows nothing about it. The higher rate is £85 a week and worth having if someone can arrange it on his behalf.

 

[witts1973]

When I applied for AA for my mum,I used the CAB they were a great help and knew how to fill the forms in as obviously they had years of practice so they knew the best way that the questions should be answered,mum got the higher rate on the first attempt.
I do know what you mean about being on the radar,I didn't particularly want the spot light shining on us,but to be honest we only see a Social worker once a year at a care review that lasted about 30 minutes,they are so busy they haven't got the time to hassle anyone.

 

[clarice2]

When I applied for AA for my mum,I used the CAB they were a great help and knew how to fill the forms in as obviously they had years of practice so they knew the best way that the questions should be answered,mum got the higher rate on the first attempt.
I do know what you mean about being on the radar,I didn't particularly want the spot light shining on us,but to be honest we only see a Social worker once a year at a care review that lasted about 30 minutes,they are so busy they haven't got the time to hassle anyone.

I also asked the CAB to fill in the forms for Attendance Allowance. They came to the house and filled in the forms with me then had a chat with my husband to confirm a few details. He was awarded higher rate.

 

[witts1973]

I also asked the CAB to fill in the forms for Attendance Allowance. They came to the house and filled in the forms with me then had a chat with my husband to confirm a few details. He was awarded higher rate.

That was good,and very handy that they could come to your house

 

[charlie10]

"he's on their radar as they are doing a means test. ".....very true, but too logical for pwd with paranoia. He doesn't have LPA....we're trying to get it set up but neither FiL or BiL are very convinced (we're overseas and trying to do everything by remote control). Just have to keep chipping away, or he's going to be missing out on a lot thanks for all your replies....really useful if we ever get to that point