HELP: house sale about to fall through because Bolton NHS fee demand

[apache]

CAN ANYBODY HELP!?!?!?!

We are having to sell my mother in laws house to pay for care home fees.

There is a charge on the house.

We are getting 80,000 for the house. Bolton wanted £76,000 off us last week.
We have been invoiced for ~ &400 per month for the last 5 years. We maintain that she should be getting NHS funded care so have not paid it. However, last week we offered to pay the £25.000 for which we had been invoiced (for the purposes of getting the charge lifted so sale could proceed)and to put the balance in a trust fund until disput resolved.

They wrote back by return and said that we owe them £81,ooo. Since this exceed the amount we are getting for the house, we can't afford to pay them.

Can anybody please help? we are supposed to be exchanging contracts on Wednesday.

 

[CraigC]

Hi,

I would recommend contacting the Alzheimers Helpline. It seems like a complex case that has legal implications.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200273

Kind Regards
Craig

 

[apache]

thanks Craig. I tried the helpline and they referred me to CAB.
She wouldn't have ended up in a home at all if Bolton Royal, having sectioned her because she came down with dementia "overnight", hadn't let her break her hip and thereafter spend months in a hip-replacement ward not getting the psychiatric treatment she was originally taken in there for.
If you knew the whole story your hair would stand on end.

 

[Clive]

Hi

Would seeing your MP help?

He will be able to contact people at the highest level for you, but unfortunately he will not hurry. If you do take this course of action do make sure you look him in the eye. Letters don’t help much.

I am very sorry to hear of your situation. I hope you make sure the rest of the country is told your full story.

Best of luck

Clive

 

[waterwoman]

This is your best help

I am probably replying too late for you to read this but it is well worth noting the following for all readers of this forum with a similar problem. Your relative could well be entitled to recover all the fees paid for care from the NHS see the websites www.************ and www.fightthebureaucracy.co.uk which explain in detail how to apply for the refund of this money. See also the msn freenursingcareinfo forum where you can ask questions on the subject of how to apply for fully funded NHS nursing care from people who have done so and succeeded. You will not receive detailed help with this issue on the Alzheimer's Talking Point forum as the moderators appear not to be familiar with the complicated law and procedures relating NHS Continuing Care.

 

[Brucie]

the moderators appear not to be familiar with the complicated law and procedures relating NHS Continuing Care

Just to clarify to everyone - the moderators are here as carers [in the same way as most other members] and who also give their time to ensure that the forum runs as smoothly as possible.

This is not to say that the moderators have no knowledge of NHS Continuing Care funding in their own situations, application for it, and the care funding in use.

... and that the moderator's and Alzheimer's Society information may be much more accurate then is that on other, unofficial, sites on the Web.

 

[TinaT]

Dear Apache,

I haven't any personal experience to pass on to you regarding your particular situation as I've not been in the same financial maize that you now find yourself in. I do live in your exact area and had a problem myself when social services billed me for husband's emergency respite care after I had a bad accident and was an emergency admission to hospital (same one you mention!) To cut a long story short there were problems because husband was under the age of 65 and all the secure care homes were licenced for only the over 65 age group. My husband received £65 per week income from disability living and nothing else. My bill for his emergency care was approximately £100 per week and pro rata for the number of days over a week of care.

I wrote a letter pointing out this to my MP, to the Secretary of State for Care and to the head of the Social Services. I also pointed out that if I had emergency respite care for a child I would not have been charged! One law for one set of our vulnerable in society - another law for another set of vulnerable in our society!

After a thorough investigation I was delighted to learn that Social Services had reviewed their emergency respite procedures. They also appeared to have found a loophole which saved their face and allowed them to return my money. They stated that as it had not been made clear to me at the time of the emergency respite that I would be billed, they had decided to refund my money. What a 'cop out' - I was in no fit state to be told anything when my husband needed emergency respite as I was in terrible pain and shock.

From my experience, I would suggest that, even if you do not win your case, fight it with all your might. Social injustice such as you are experiencing should not be allowed to go unchallenged. My best wishes to you.

xxTinaT

 

[christine_batch]

Dear Apache,
I have sent you a p.m. with relevent information & contact.
Best wishes
Christine