Help for bereaved Uncle - Please...

Mojisola

Ask for an assessment by Social Services and a benefit check by AgeUK or CAB.

I don't understand why you are paying his bills when he has money.

downshifter98

The care charges need to be checked - my parents are still alive (mid 70's) but Mum is severely disabled with 4 visits daily (dad coped admirably until a year ago but now needs help) - they were assessed by local council and don't pay a penny towards the care cost (£400 plus per week!!); they own their property and receive state pension/AA/DLA/Pension credit plus CTB - their total savings are roughly £10,000 and were reliably told that each are allowed upto £23,000 before the care costs become payable (obviously different to the limits -ie £16,000 joint - that affect pension credit etc) which, as you can imagine, was a great relief to everybody concerned. Another affect of this is the motivation to save has now completely disappeared and my parents, after a lifetime of being relatively frugal, now spend as freely as they possibly can.....what a crazy system (but the Grandkids are happy.....).

Eager_Elephant

With regard to HB/CTB I think you need to look at the calculation again.

Deprivation of capital is not easily proved and so what you need to look at is the notional capital rules.

If they believe that your Uncle should have kept £10,000 instead of giving it away then eventually that money would have been eroded with bills etc so they have to reduce the capital amount using notional capital rules until there is a point where he would qualify.

So if they think your Uncle should have £20,000, they would then decide (for example) that he would be likely to spend that at a rate of £500 per month, so month 1 he has £20,000, month 2 he has £19,500 and so on until he comes under the magic £16,000 where he will qualify for HB/CTB again.

He would of course have to be careful that he does not unintentionally build up savings by not spending all his income.

If you need more help give me shout.

Dunroamin

downshifter98 wrote: »

The care charges need to be checked - my parents are still alive (mid 70's) but Mum is severely disabled with 4 visits daily (dad coped admirably until a year ago but now needs help) - they were assessed by local council and don't pay a penny towards the care cost (£400 plus per week!!); they own their property and receive state pension/AA/DLA/Pension credit plus CTB - their total savings are roughly £10,000 and were reliably told that each are allowed upto £23,000 before the care costs become payable (obviously different to the limits -ie £16,000 joint - that affect pension credit etc) which, as you can imagine, was a great relief to everybody concerned. Another affect of this is the motivation to save has now completely disappeared and my parents, after a lifetime of being relatively frugal, now spend as freely as they possibly can.....what a crazy system (but the Grandkids are happy.....).

If I'd spent a long life being frugal I'd be happier to spend it on my own care and independence rather than just throwing it at the grandchildren!

downshifter98

If I'd spent a long life being frugal I'd be happier to spend it on my own care and independence rather than just throwing it at the grandchildren

Was really just highlighting a quirk of the system and, of course, they do spend what they can on themselves first - in fact probably more now than ever so no complaints there. Just a shame that it's taken extreme illness to encourage this. Main point is still that the ops uncle (?) should not be paying for care with 'only' £10t in the bank.

Dunroamin

downshifter98 wrote: »

Was really just highlighting a quirk of the system and, of course, they do spend what they can on themselves first - in fact probably more now than ever so no complaints there. Just a shame that it's taken extreme illness to encourage this. Main point is still that the ops uncle (?) should not be paying for care with 'only' £10t in the bank.

If he gave away £10,000 then that should be treated as if he still had it.

ab.da54

Dunroamin wrote: »

If he gave away £10,000 then that should be treated as if he still had it.

It appears that £12,000 was given away, but the figures in this situation do not seem to add up

dizzy-di wrote: »

even if they still think he has the £12,000, (£10.000 + £12.000).

dizzy-di_2

downshifter98 wrote: »

The care charges need to be checked - my parents are still alive (mid 70's) but Mum is severely disabled with 4 visits daily (dad coped admirably until a year ago but now needs help) - they were assessed by local council and don't pay a penny towards the care cost (£400 plus per week!!); they own their property and receive state pension/AA/DLA/Pension credit plus CTB - their total savings are roughly £10,000 and were reliably told that each are allowed upto £23,000 before the care costs become payable (obviously different to the limits -ie £16,000 joint - that affect pension credit etc) which, as you can imagine, was a great relief to everybody concerned. Another affect of this is the motivation to save has now completely disappeared and my parents, after a lifetime of being relatively frugal, now spend as freely as they possibly can.....what a crazy system (but the Grandkids are happy.....).

This is what is so hard for me to sort out, if i apply again i am going to get into a battle with them, as i could only find so many reciepts, my uncle has disposed of them i think (he loves shredding things - even junk mail if it has his name on), i explained everything last time to the best of my ability, and they were not happy with what we had, and i gave them loads of bills/reciepts. Its difficult when its not your own personal stuff.

I had to withdraw £300 per day from his account to collate the money he was paying out, and this raised suspisions too - it was the only way as uncle is housebound, and i was following his instructions. That account is now clear and i cant access his other account in this way, the bank have been used to dealing with me, but have changed their system, so i cant do 3rd party transfers anymore. He has £5200 in an ISA, and a savings book account with approx £5000 in.
It was the council told me to apply for help with the charges in the first place, as even in the begining (just as aunt died he had around £22,000), then there was the funeral to pay for, a new stair lift, raiser chair, bath lift etc. So i felt he would qualify, then they started going back to years before when they had £30.000, but that was 4 years before aunt died, they were in better health then so could do things and go away together. its as if you are not allowed to spend any money at all.
Sorry for waffaling but its all above me this.

dizzy-di_2

Eager_Elephant wrote: »

With regard to HB/CTB I think you need to look at the calculation again.

Deprivation of capital is not easily proved and so what you need to look at is the notional capital rules.

If they believe that your Uncle should have kept £10,000 instead of giving it away then eventually that money would have been eroded with bills etc so they have to reduce the capital amount using notional capital rules until there is a point where he would qualify.

So if they think your Uncle should have £20,000, they would then decide (for example) that he would be likely to spend that at a rate of £500 per month, so month 1 he has £20,000, month 2 he has £19,500 and so on until he comes under the magic £16,000 where he will qualify for HB/CTB again.

He would of course have to be careful that he does not unintentionally build up savings by not spending all his income.

If you need more help give me shout.

Thank you for this information, it is just so confusing to me, i will get back to you if you dont mind, i am not clear with the numbers at the moment, as i am not at home, but the figures are all still below the entitlement of £24,000, that was why i was so shocked when they disallowed it, and uncle said to me to leave it, as he thinks he should be believed as he is only telling the truth, he is very old fashioned, he feels like it is begging for help.

Dunroamin

dizzy-di wrote: »

Thank you for this information, it is just so confusing to me, i will get back to you if you dont mind, i am not clear with the numbers at the moment, as i am not at home, but the figures are all still below the entitlement of £24,000, that was why i was so shocked when they disallowed it, and uncle said to me to leave it, as he thinks he should be believed as he is only telling the truth, he is very old fashioned, he feels like it is begging for help.

I'm sure that you mean well but as your uncle thinks like this and has the money to fund his care, perhaps you should just let him do so?