Professional help with assessments & claims

bobblehat

Registered User
Aug 16, 2015
24
0
Things are moving on and Mum is being taken into respite care because she can't manage on her own (with daily carers).

We're looking now at options here and seeing if we can claim for the costs (a local home is looking at £1,300 pw). I'm reading through the leaflets here and everything I've read talks about the complexity of the process in getting assessment, applying for financial help and so on.

So at this early stage, I was wondering if there are professionals who can go through this process on our (and Mum's) behalf, i.e. work with us to make sure we apply in the right way and don't end up losing out because of a simple mistake in form filing!

Do such professionals exist or is it up the individual to do all this?
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,081
0
Bury
If you mum has over £23250 assets, sole and half joint excluding property if partner (or certain other specific person) lives there, she will be self funding and there is nothing that 'professionals' can help with.

Has she this level of assets?
 

bobblehat

Registered User
Aug 16, 2015
24
0
Yes she does. But does it make no difference that the local social services are putting her into a care home because they insist she cannot live on her own? This is a medical thing surely and should be covered by the NHS? That was my take from reading the pamphlets on this.
 

bobblehat

Registered User
Aug 16, 2015
24
0
Thanks for your suggestions - immersing myself in the information now.

As an aside, would it be simply too cynical of me to ask if the procedure for claiming is purposefully hard to put people off and save the government money?!
 

realist1234

Registered User
Oct 30, 2014
108
0
£1300 per week? Really?! That seems a lot. You should note that where the Local Authority makes a contribution to the fees (once self-funding ends), they will only pay any difference between your mum's contribution and the maximum weekly charge which they consider reasonable for a care home to charge. It no doubt varies from county to county, but it may only be £700 per week max. In due course if your mum eventually becomes non self-funding, and you were originally offered a place in a home by the LA that only charged this max amount but you chose a more expensive one, then a 3rd party would normally be required to pay the difference (so-called 'top-up' amount). The 3rd party is typically family.

From what you have said, it appears your mum lives on her own in a property owned solely by her. If the main reason for her going into a care home (nursing?) is Alzheimer's Disease, then it is very unlikely her place would be funded by the NHS under 'Continuing Care', but you should still read up about it.

As her savings are over £23,250 she would be classed a s a self-funder and would have to pay for the full cost of whichever home you choose. The LA will also likely want you to agree to a 'deferred payments agreement' in respect of her property, whereby once her savings reduce to £23250, the LA would start to make a contribution to her fees, but once her home is sold they would be repaid any contribution they have made. If you do enter any such agreement, I think you can insist that any 'top-up' amount is included. Also remember that most of your mum's income from pensions etc plus Attendance Allowance (claimable if self-funding only) will go towards the weekly fees, plus around £100 per week from the NHS for the nursing element of her care (if she goes into a nursing home rather than purely residential). You should also consider the possibility of renting her home out if you think she would get a sufficient income to pay towards her fees.

Sadly the elderly are required to pay for their care as it is relatively rare for it to be funded under the NHS, even if their care is required due to a physical brain disease such as Alzheimer's.

I cannot recommend any 'professionals' but organisations such as CAB should be able to give you information. But pl come back here if you have any further queries - we all understand it can seem quite complicated!

Peter