Nursing home costs etc

v2pv2pv2p

Registered User
Nov 13, 2015
8
0
hi,

Can anyone give me some info as to where we stand, as it looks like the outcome will be that my mum may have to go into a home eventually.

My dad cares for mum at the moment, they have joint savings and they own their own house, does the government take your house once savings are all spent.

Think they wish they had wasted all their money on holidays now instead of future nursing home costs!

All advice on this would be appreciated xx
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
While one partner remains in the house it is disregarded. Only half of joint savings would be counted.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
If your dad stays in the house it's value will be disregarded in any financial assessment by the LA.

A financial assessment will include any assets in sole accounts in your mum's name and 50% of any held jointly with your dad.

If your mum's assets are above £23250 she will be self funding, between this amount and £14250 the LA will contribute to the cost, below £14250 they will pay all the costs.

If the LA is funding your mum will loose all her state pension and 50% of any private pension (your dad gets the other 50%) but she will be allowed to keep a personal expenditure allowance of £24.90 per week.
 

v2pv2pv2p

Registered User
Nov 13, 2015
8
0
How much of the house is taken to cover nursing home costs, or do they sell the house anyone know ?
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
As long as your dad stays in the house none of its value will be used to pay for your mother's care.
 

Pete R

Registered User
Jul 26, 2014
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Staffs
How much of the house is taken to cover nursing home costs, or do they sell the house anyone know ?
As the other have said the house is disregarded. That means it does not have to be sold ever as long as your Dad lives in it.

Things change if your Dad wants to sell in the future but for now none of the value of the house is taken to cover costs for your Mum.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
How much of the house is taken to cover nursing home costs, or do they sell the house anyone know ?

Provided a spouse is still living in the property, it is totally disregarded (aka ignored) when it comes to paying nursing or care home bills.
 

v2pv2pv2p

Registered User
Nov 13, 2015
8
0
Also what about a car they own do the take that into consideration?? Although dad drives it obviously.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
This assumes that dad predeceases your mum.
What does your dad's will say?
Is the house owned as joint tenants or tenants in common?

EDIT
About the car.
What does you dad's will say?
 
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v2pv2pv2p

Registered User
Nov 13, 2015
8
0
Home owned joint, will goes to the surviving partner, then left to daughter etc car is owned jointly.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
When it come to paying for care, which I think is your primary concern, a will is rather irrelevant, although I realise that you did ask what would happen if your father died first. When it comes to what are normally referred to as "chattels" (which would include a car, furniture, etc.) they are excluded from the calculations when paying for care. The exception would be if someone purchased a car immediately before going in to a home and then gave it away in order to shield assets: that would be deprivation. And of course, if your father did predecease your mother, any assets your mother inherited would be fair game for inclusion although in the case of chattels, not until they were sold.
 

v2pv2pv2p

Registered User
Nov 13, 2015
8
0
Yeah I thought will is irrelevant, was just answering the question. I would like to know how much of the value of a house can they take? Does anyone know I know that in 2020 there will be a cap but is there one now or do they take the whole house?
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
The value of the house only comes into effect if you father dies before your mother, then it is just added to her other assets so the concept of a fraction of the value of the house only becomes relevant if it is the only sizeable asset.

There is currently no cap. You self fund, unless you are awarded CHC or become eligible for Section 117, until you reach the LA upper limit

The calculations in the Care Act 2014 were complex, their introduction in 2015 has been postponed until 2020 when there will be a new government. My personal view is that it could all change again and therefore it is somewhat a waste of time trying to do any calculations based on it.
 
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v2pv2pv2p

Registered User
Nov 13, 2015
8
0
So there is no max amount of the value of a house they can take, so if she ended up in a home for 10 years etc and dad had passed they will take the funds from the value of the house ?
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
As it stands at the moment your mother would be self funding using the proceeds from the sale of the house until the upper capital limit was reached, the LA would not actually take the money, your mother would spend it on care.

In 2020 you should find out what the future situation will be.

Your father can act now to try to limit the value of the house that would be spent on your mother's care, he can sever the joint tenancy
https://www.gov.uk/joint-property-ownership/change-from-joint-tenants-to-tenants-in-common

This would mean that instead of jointly owning the whole house they would each own half of it.

This in turn means that your father can bequeath his half to somebody other tan your mother.

If your father died before your mother an argument would then ensue with the LA as to the value of half a house when the co owner was unwilling to sell.
 
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Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
There is currently no cost cap, so until someone goes down to £23,250 they are classed as self-funding and will have to pay however much it costs, unless they qualify for CHC funding. A care cost cap of £72,000 was going to come in next year but has been delayed until 2020. Another government might decide differently then.
 

stanleypj

Registered User
Dec 8, 2011
10,712
0
North West
the LA would not actually take the money, your mother would spend it on care.

Unpalatable as this possibility seems to many of us, particularly perhaps when we first realise it, that is an important distinction surely. Nobody's taking money away.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
"A care cost cap of £72,000 was going to come in next year but has been delayed until 2020"

For reference that cost was a lifetime cap on care, there was a separate annual cap on 'hotel costs'.

To further complicate matters the caps were based on the LA assessments of 'fair charges' not the actual amounts paid by the resident.

The BBC produced a useful calculator
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30990913
to give an estimate of lifetime cost.
 

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