take your house away to pay for your care in the uk

Ladywriter1968

I just wondered what your opinions are on people that go into care homes and the parent ends up having to pay from the house and savings for their care and the children end up with nothing, or not much, when the parents have worked all their lives to provide a better existence and security for their children and this is taken away? do you think that it should come out of the taxes we pay all our lives to pay for the care rather then the government take take take, or do you think that why should the government foot the bill for it. I know in Scotland that the government I have been told pay for it all and the property goes down to kin and children. Do you think its fair that people work hard all their lives for nothing basically. We pay so much tax and get nothing for it at the end.

Torry_Quine

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

I know in Scotland that the government I have been told pay for it all and the property goes down to kin and children. .

You've been told wrong then.

Here in Scotland people still pay for their own care if they go into a care home and so will have to sell any property they have.

Why does this wrong ideal still prevail?

pelirocco

We dont pay enough taxes to cover decent care home fees

opinions4u

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

I just wondered what your opinions are on people that go into care homes and the parent ends up having to pay from the house and savings for their care and the children end up with nothing, or not much, when the parents have worked all their lives to provide a better existence and security for their children and this is taken away?

It's an emotive subject and one that I have been exposed to on a personal level too.

While absolutely hating the notion of my Grandmother having to sell her bungalow to pay for care, I'm not totally convinced that the families of other taxpayers should lose out to pay for care instead so that I can inherit a few quid.

Do you think its fair that people work hard all their lives for nothing basically.

Well, they've sustained themselves, so it's not nothing, is it?

We pay so much tax and get nothing for it at the end.

So should taxpayers give useless politicians even more to gain less value from?

I don't have an answer to the question. I'm uncomfortable with all sides of the argument!

Ewarwoowar2

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

I just wondered what your opinions are on people that go into care homes and the parent ends up having to pay from the house and savings for their care and the children end up with nothing, or not much, when the parents have worked all their lives to provide a better existence and security for their children and this is taken away? do you think that it should come out of the taxes we pay all our lives to pay for the care rather then the government take take take, or do you think that why should the government foot the bill for it. I know in Scotland that the government I have been told pay for it all and the property goes down to kin and children. Do you think its fair that people work hard all their lives for nothing basically. We pay so much tax and get nothing for it at the end.

I think that when a parent is at the end of their life and needs full time care, their children should not be focusing on what free cash they will be getting when said person dies.

I will not care if I don't inherit a penny from my parents. My first concern is their health and comfort.

benjo

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

I just wondered what your opinions are on people that go into care homes and the parent ends up having to pay from the house and savings for their care and the children end up with nothing, or not much, when the parents have worked all their lives to provide a better existence and security for their children and this is taken away? do you think that it should come out of the taxes we pay all our lives to pay for the care rather then the government take take take, or do you think that why should the government foot the bill for it. I know in Scotland that the government I have been told pay for it all and the property goes down to kin and children. Do you think its fair that people work hard all their lives for nothing basically. We pay so much tax and get nothing for it at the end.

For the sake of example only, if your parents are both in nursing home care, the cost is approx £500 per week each - 52k a year for your parents. People are living longer and not always in better health, lets say 10 years each in a nursing home = over half a million quid.

You ask if I think the government should foot the bill.......maybe you are under a misapprehension about how government finances work. The government DONT foot any bills, I foot the bills, You foot the bills, We all foot the bills - all the government do is administer our money, shuffle it in one direction or another.

Now, given that nobody other than you, me and Bobby Mahgee are gonna pay this 52k a year, do you, the OP, think it is reasonable for us all to pay more for your parents care while you get to keep the 300k house? (figures used as an example - maybe the house is worth 75k or 750k).

There are some really clever people on here who could estimate how much of a tax increase we would have to endure in order to pay for this care - I cant even begin to work that one out. But I'm betting if you were on the minimum wage - thats gonna hurt you and maybe it would mean you couldnt get a mortgage, couldnt afford your own house etc etc.

Is it right that an aged person looses their home to pay for their own care - no, it really bloody isnt. It is absolutely shocking, devastating and disgusting and you allude to one solution - should it come from the taxes we pay? maybe - how much will that cost? More than we really want to pay I suspect.

Perhaps people who buy their own homes should insure themselves against this eventuality - just like they do in the event that they die, or the house burns down, critical illness - I bet that would cost a bit though and I suspect it would make the insurance part of house buying preclusive.

Alternatively children might think that the benefit of inheriting their parents seat is worth the cost of looking after them in old age themselves without relying on social/nursing care provision - of course, not always possible or desirable - but it is an option.

poppy10_2

Can't put it any better than benjo - care homes are hideously expensive, and the tax hike that would be needed to fund univeral provision would put any government out of power.

theartfullodger

There's a lot of people making a lot of money out of running care homes: Things were so much better when local council had their own (very few left now..)

But the situation is getting worse & worse... and I plan to top myself rather than end up lingering on.. Others will disagree...

Best wishes to all MSE'ers, including those who disagree with me...

Lodger

poppy10_2

theartfullodger wrote: »

There's a lot of people making a lot of money out of running care homes: Things were so much better when local council had their own (very few left now..)

Unfortunately that's true - opening your own care home is one of the easiest ways to make big money, I know of several doctors who have left the profession to do this full-time.

Because their main motive is money rather than patient care, they drive down costs mercilessly, so you end up with the home being staffed by cheap eastern european or african labour, who can hardly understand or communicate with the patients. Plus there is no provision for any kind of occupational therapy/therapeutic entertainment for the clients, they all just follow the same routine: get woken in the morning, dumped in an armchair in the lounge, have meals put in front of them, and then taken away half an hour later even if they haven't managed to eat them, and then put to bed at 6pm. It's no life at all, and incredibly cruel.

The government thought that privatizing the sector would drive down costs, increase quality and increase efficiency. In fact costs have soared, care quality is non-existent, and the efficiency gains are only achieved through neglecting clients and providing substandard care.

There are some exceptions to the rule, obviously, but like arfullodger above, I'd rather top myself than live in most of the care homes I have visited.

dunstonh

Do you think its fair that people work hard all their lives for nothing basically. We pay so much tax and get nothing for it at the end.

You save for a rainy day. For the small minority that actually end up in care, that is a rainy day. The Govt provide a safety net but that is all they should provide. I dont see why the taxpayer should fund your inheritance.

Joe_Bloggs

Perhaps concerned citizens of a certain age should form a co-operative or similar organisation where the care towards the end of their lives could be provided. My parents are selling up to move into accommodation where there is a warden to call upon and easy access.
J_B.