Finishing mortgage...any impact on paying towards care?

ceetee

Registered User
Nov 18, 2010
119
0
Bedfordshire
Hi.:)
I have not posted for some time. My husband is still at home with 3 days a week daycare and 3 days a week with a carer at home. On Sundays we are just family without any carers. My hb receives CHC funding and we have been assessed as not needing to pay towards the care, which we could not have with just me working, £1000 a month mortgage and £400 a month childcare costs for our 5-year-old son. He also currently receives DLA and contribution-based ESA. However, our mortgage is coming to an end next year. I wonder if any of you has been through a similar situation and would like to know if the authorities will financially re-assess us and possibly ask us to pay towards the care when we have not got the big mortgage committment any longer? Our house is in joint names, we have got no savings, some debts and the ESA will end at the same time as the mortgage (my hb may then receive some pension credits? but not sure on this! ) & DLA will be replaced by AA. I am just not clear if the finishing mortgage payments could have an impact on us having to pay towards care. I hope this will not be the case as I do need to tackle the debt, which has slowly built up in the background over the past 2 years. Any experience or advice welcome! Thanks, Ceetee x.:confused:
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
If he received NHS Continuing care, then that is on the basis of his health needs and your financial situation is irrelevant. You could have thousands of pounds coming in each week and you'd still get the NHS CC. However, this may not be the CHC you refer to, because you mention an assessment and I'm not sure if you mean financial.
 

ceetee

Registered User
Nov 18, 2010
119
0
Bedfordshire
Re: financial assessment

Dear Jennifer,
thanks for your reply. I do not fully understand all of it myself. In October 2011, we were financially assessed by Central Beds Council. Outcome: (quote)"This letter is to notify you that...you will not have to pay a contribution towards the cost of your home Care/Day Care...If there is a change in your income, capital or outgoings your contribution may need to be adjusted."

Then in November 2011, we received the letter from the NHS: (quote)"Mr...does meet the criteria for CHC eligibility."

Now, I am not clear if they both go together or if the financial assessment was necessary to determine if we pay towards care before the CHC kicked in? They may not be linked at all.

Can you help any further? Thanks, Ceetee x.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
It sounds to me that initially you were financially assessed because at that time you hadn't been granted NHS CC and at that time, it was determined that you wouldn't have to pay anything (and importantly at that point the bill would have been picked up by the LA). Then a month later you were awarded NHS CC at which point your PCT (or possibly your PCT and the LA) became responsible for paying for this care. This is assuming that you and I mean the same thing when you say CHC and I say NHS CC :).

It's not uncommon for someone to have a financial assessment before they have their assessment for NHS CC. If that is subsequently granted as it appears to have been (see above) then the financial assessment is meaningless.

"if the financial assessment was necessary to determine if we pay towards care before the CHC kicked in? " Yes, this.
 

ceetee

Registered User
Nov 18, 2010
119
0
Bedfordshire
Thank you, Jennifer!

That was what I hoped. Your reply and the smile on your picture have cheered me up. Ready for a new day now! Good night! Ceetee x.
 

Contrary Mary

Registered User
Jun 11, 2010
1,895
0
69
Greater London
Yes, I think SS would have proceeded on the assumption that they would have been providing the care until it was confirmed that you had CHC.

One thing strikes me. If you had been granted CHC in November 2011 then I would have expected you to have had the first review after 3 months. I was phoned and invited to Mum's review - sadly, Mum had just died!

Mary
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