money question?

Nessynoo

I am not condoning "deprivation of assets", but don't die rich. Enjoy the money now.

I second the advice on checking out money gifts with HMRC.

BeenieCat

Why are you waiting 3/4 months for a council worker to come back from leave, to apply for the benefit? Can't you help? Or get CAB or similar to help in filling the forms in.

Newly_retired

If he gives small amounts of money to his grandchildren on a regular basis out of income that should not be an issue.

RAS

Andit sounds like a referel to a hearing specialist and a good hearing aid might be a good idea, even if they costs money.

floss2

RAS wrote: »

Andit sounds like a referel to a hearing specialist and a good hearing aid might be a good idea, even if they costs money.

That would be a good way to spend some of his hard-earned savings, whilst getting the benefit of the specialist's knowledge & any equipment recommended.

Morglin

Cacran wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies. MY mum is not in a fit state to even leave the home that she is in, so a holiday with her is out of the question. We never even bring her home for the day. I know it sounds awful but she is in a really bad state. The people at the home, which is only for dementia cases, cannot even manage to take her out with the others on trips etc.
I have told my dad to spend his money, He said he will buy a decent train for his model railway (bless!!) He goes away every six weeks on coach holidays. he is going to increase that to every 4 weeks. They do not cost a lot and he gets well looked after. He goes to bed after tea and watches tv. He hates being in crowded noisy places as his hearing aids buzz and drive him crazy. He doesn't drink or smoke. He buys his lunch at Morrisons cafe every day and does no cooking at home.
I have had a chat with him and he says he feels guilty spending money as he has never done so. With Mum in the home he feels as though he is doing her an injustice. It is very hard for him.
A lady from the council office was the one who said that dad ,being in the state he is in with his hearing, should be getting benefits for it. She, unfortunately is away from work due to a major operation. She will be back at work in February and said she will help us out then.

Its is frustrating when people have worked all their lives, claimed nothing and now their savings etc., puts them just over the threshold for extra help - my parents are in the same position.

Your dad should apply for Attendance Allowance, which isn't means tested or counted as income. I wouldn't wait until February - the CAB will help him to find a worker to help him with the forms, or Age Concern may be able to advise.

If your dad gives away his money to grandchildren, it can be assessed as 'deliberately depriving himself of assets in order to obtain benefits', and the money might be counted as if he still has it, even when he hasn't, so I would tread carefully with it.

http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/Documents/FS53Capital_income_and_means_tested_benefits.pdf

Has he tried applying for Pensions (Savings) Credit?

This is an online calculator:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/PensionCredit/DG_180167

Age Concern are great for giving advice, and it may be that they will be able to advise as to the best way to go.

http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/how_we_help.asp

Lin

Cacran

My dad had been to the hospital about his hearing and was told his damage was not repairable and the type of hearing loss was due to his occupation in the mines. they said that hearing aids would not work. He was desparate so went to a private company (Hidden Hearing). They said more or less the same but offered some hi tec hearing aids which could improve the situation arginally. they cost over £3,000. They have improved it marginally, but not much at all. the batteries need regularly replacing and he keeps having to go back for them resetting. In all honesty, the NHS were probably right but of course, private enterprise always sell things whether they work sufficiently or not.

It is through Age Concern that we have been dealing. They got the people from Pensions Service to help. We had a meeting in mums care home with my mum and the pensions person, so that they could assertain if mum could understand things. they needed to tell us what we had to do to move things on. The result was that pensions agreed to deal with me in future on my parents behalf. all paperwork was completed to apply for mus pension credit. that was in May. I then had to go to Age concern to meet up with the lady again. she filled in forms to get dad assessed for Pension Credit and told me dad would qualify for council tax benefit. Dad had to go see her again. He went in but did not have all documents with him. As the'd seen them already we thought that would not matter. They said he would be contacted and get a home visit. July came. No contact yet! I phoned and Pensions. They checked with Newcastle and the answer was all paerwork had been lost (the lady said it happend often!!!) She offered a home visit. That was 27th July. Everything done again for both mum and dad. Told we would get a letter from council tax but to ignore it. We did that. Then two more letters followed saing that if we did not reply they would not consider dads benefit application. Contacted them 3 times. Nothing. Phoned Pensions. Turned out the lady who did the home visit had done mums forms okay but dads was the wrong form. Needed another 28 page form doing and to see all documents. Pension service and council liased and council woman arranged a meeting at Age Concern. She could not believe how much we had been messed about and it was her who asked why dad was not getting any benefits for his hearing problem which she could see was causing a huge problem.( I had to interpret everything she said to him). She seemed very genuinely concerned that we did not continue to be dealt with in this shabby fashion but she was going off sick. She gaveus the option of having someone else deal with it or to contact her in February when she returned to work. Is it any wonder why we want to wait for her to get back. I just don't want to start from scratch again. It's been a nightare. On top of all that, she told us that what the solicitor had just advised us, was in fact the worst advice we could have got. That cost Dad £1,000 to sort out his affairs, for the future.
i have had advice from lots of sources over the past three years, CAB, Alzheimers Society, government agencies, banks, Social Services, Solicitors, Doctors, NHS, you name it, I have been there. the trouble is, lots of this advice is conflicting. We act on one thing only to be told by someone else that it was wrong.
Goodness knows how people like my dad manage if they have no one to help out!!!
I am grateful for all your input though, helps me to get my head around things.:beer:

mintymoneysaver

It's not quite the same thing but inheritance tax wise you can give gifts.

Small gifts

You can make small gifts up to the value of £250 to as many people as you like in any one tax year. However, you can’t give a larger sum and claim exemption for the first £250.
You can’t use your small gifts allowance together with any other exemption when giving to the same person.
Regular gifts or payments that are part of your normal expenditure

Any regular gifts you make out of your after-tax income, not including your capital, are exempt from Inheritance Tax. These gifts will only qualify if you have enough income left after making them to maintain your normal lifestyle.
These include:

• monthly or other regular payments to someone
• regular gifts for Christmas and birthdays, or wedding/civil partnership anniversaries
• regular premiums on a life insurance policy - for you or someone else

You can also make exempt maintenance payments to:

• your husband, wife or civil partner
• your ex-spouse or former civil partner
• relatives who are dependent on you because of old age or infirmity
• your children, including adopted children and step-children, who are under 18 or in full-time education

Cacran

Sadly my mum died on Friday.

maggied_2

Oh Cacran I'm so sorry to read that. I'm glad you and your dad have each other to lean on - you sound like such a caring daughter.
C xxxxxx