Entitlement and support available

Kerry33

Registered User
Aug 10, 2014
12
0
Hi there,

My father has dementia and my mum is currently looking after him in Tenerife. He has got very difficult to manage and my mum is not coping well. He went out while she was sleeping yesterday in his underpants and was found covered in cuts and bruises, shaking and in shock. We are all very distressed. My mum wanted to stay there, against our wishes but I think now realises that we have a very small window to get him back. What I wanted to ask was, my mum has only a very small pension, just £200 a month. They basically live off dads pension, I think the main reason she stayed there is because she is worried that if Dad goes in a home, the government would take all of Dads pension so she would have no money to live off. They own their only home, which is an apartment in Tenerife, and she also worries that she would have to sell that to pay for Dads care. Does anyone know if this is true or where we can get some advice regarding what care dad would be entitled too, and how the system works?

Thank you in advance,

Kerry.
 

AlsoConfused

Registered User
Sep 17, 2010
1,952
0
So your parents are living in Tenerife because your Mum's worried all Dad's pension and the apartment in Tenerife will be taken off them in the UK to pay for Dad's care?

I think your Mum's situation would be considerably more favourable than she believes - but it might be a good idea for you to discuss the situation with CAB or the AgeUK helpline. Your Mum couldn't be treated worse than if they were resident within the UK surely?

I understand your Mum would be entitled to half the couple's financial assets - eg half your Dad's pension, etc - so they'd be disregarded. Your Dad would also keep £23,250 of his share of their financial assets.

I've no idea what would happen about the Tenerife flat. If your Mum and Dad sold it and were able to buy a property in the UK for them both to live in (your Dad for a short while before moving into care) then the new UK property couldn't be used to fund his care (because that would make your Mum homeless).
 

Saffie

Registered User
Mar 26, 2011
22,513
0
Near Southampton
Your Dad would also keep £23,250 of his share of their financial assets.
That's not exactly correct.
The LA will start to help when the capital sinks to £23,250 but a percentage of that will be used towards CH fees until it reaches £14,250. Only that amount will your father be allowed to keep.
 

Kerry33

Registered User
Aug 10, 2014
12
0
That's not exactly correct.
The LA will start to help when the capital sinks to £23,250 but a percentage of that will be used towards CH fees until it reaches £14,250. Only that amount will your father be allowed to keep.

Thank you so much for your reply. My sister and I, feel that Mum and Dad would have more support here, as she gets none in Tenerife, not to mention we could support them as a family.
The news about what dad and mum could keep financially is good, but I think, as I have said to Mum, she needs to get some advice about the apartment.
Thank you again for taking the time to reply x
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
My husband was recently assessed for a possible care home place. No questions were asked at all about my finances. What they are interested in is your fathers assets since he will be the one seeking support. So - all of his state pension, half of his occupational pension and all of the assets which are in his name will be taken into account. If your parents have a joint account half of that will be counted and half of a jointly owned property although if your mother is still living in it then it is disregarded.

Your mother would have her own pension, half of the occupational pension from your father and any assets in her own name plus half the property value.

If after all of that your mother does not have enough to live on then she may be entitled to top ups through income support, pension credit etc.
 

Kerry33

Registered User
Aug 10, 2014
12
0
My husband was recently assessed for a possible care home place. No questions were asked at all about my finances. What they are interested in is your fathers assets since he will be the one seeking support. So - all of his state pension, half of his occupational pension and all of the assets which are in his name will be taken into account. If your parents have a joint account half of that will be counted and half of a jointly owned property although if your mother is still living in it then it is disregarded.

Your mother would have her own pension, half of the occupational pension from your father and any assets in her own name plus half the property value.

If after all of that your mother does not have enough to live on then she may be entitled to top ups through income support, pension credit etc.

Thank you, it seems that she won't be as bad off as she thought. To be honest she has probably been in denial about dads diagnosis, and so has put off investigating. His turn for the worst yesterday has really hit them both badly. And has made mum make the difficult, but we think, best decision, to come home.
As I said previously we need to sort out what would happen to the apartment.

Thanks again for you reply x
 

Kevinl

Registered User
Aug 24, 2013
6,050
0
Salford
Hi Kerry
You might be better off getting a Spanish European Health Card for him before he returns. Returning expats aren't automatically entitled to free care (see the link below).
If they still have the flat abroad and no UK residence the NHS might se it as health tourism. I believe if they're over the UK retirement age (currently 63 for a woman, 66 for a man) then they should be OK.
K

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/hea...de-Europe-must-pay-for-NHS-hospital-care.html
 

Kerry33

Registered User
Aug 10, 2014
12
0
Hi Kerry
You might be better off getting a Spanish European Health Card for him before he returns. Returning expats aren't automatically entitled to free care (see the link below).
If they still have the flat abroad and no UK residence the NHS might se it as health tourism. I believe if they're over the UK retirement age (currently 63 for a woman, 66 for a man) then they should be


Thanks for your reply, they are both in their seventies. Both of them worked all their lives and only retired when Dad was 65, so sad that they have had just 7 years till Dads diagnosis, and his decline has been so rapid, we are all quite shocked.