How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

mardatha

Going back on topic, this is becoming more like an OS world every day. Soon we'll be in the same position as our great grannies, scraping away money to pay for things and fearing the workhouse!

ceridwen

Hi Hester

The problem - re being forced to sell home to pay for nursing care - lies with the fact that there could be two households in exactly the same situation and having earned exactly the same money BUT:
- household 1 had scrimped/scraped/worked extra hours/etc to be able to manage to buy a house and therefore owned the home they live in
on the one hand BUT
- household 2 had not done this and had spent every single penny on "wine, women and song" (ie okay..."wine, MEN and song" - bearing in mind we are mainly female on this thread) and that the two households would get treated differently just because their "spending patterns" differed.

That is - that both households had been in very much the same situation BUT household 1 had used all available money to buy their home and household 2 hadnt. Household 2 would find that it was accepted that they had spent every penny (even if it had been totally wasted - ie that "Wine, men and song" scenario) and would get the costs of any nursing home care paid for for them.

Household 1 would have done the "Wise Virgin" act and been very prudent with their money and put the money into "bricks and mortar" and been penalised for doing so (ie by having that money taken off them by the State because the chance was there to do so). Household 1 would have spent their money in a different way and it wouldnt be available for the State to get their hands on - eg because it had been "flushed down the drain" because it was spent on alcohol/holidays/etc/etc (ie not the necessities of life) and the State would accept they couldnt get any money from Household 1.

Either the State expects to get money towards nursing care from BOTH Household 1 and Household 2 and refuses to listen to pleas from Household 2 that they simply don't have the money there anywhere OR the State has to accept that two similar households DO have the same financial position and stop trying to penalise Household 1 people for having been prudent with their money iyswim.

That is what the problem is - ie that people who have been prudent are penalised and those who have "thrown their money away on whatever they wanted" arent. This means a value judgement is being made by the State AGAINST those who have been prudent. The unfairness is what rankles.

The thing is too that it is very very obvious that the people who complain about Household 1 people do seem to be those who don't own their own homes - I have never yet noticed anyone who owns their own home complaining that people shouldnt be allowed to continue to do so if the State wants to be able to take money out of that house for nursing home fees. I have only ever seen people who rent their homes complaining. <Sits back and hopes that a home-owner will now come in and say "I'm a home-owner and I think its fair for home-owners to have to pay...">

charlies-aunt

Worrying times - its certainly sparking a crime wave round here . . . recent weeks has seen a surge in lead flashing disappearing and empty properties being broken into and robbed of the copper piping.
Hit a new low now though - overnight last night a gang went round ripping off external gas copper piping from dozens of properties - a miracle that they didn't cause an explosion!!

At Chez Charlie - we are replanning our budget as our finances which were tight anyhow are now stretched even more with the food price rises.

Still on track for the nothing new in 2011 needles to say!

bertiebots

Talking of work...I got a new job!:j:j:j:j Whoohoo!. No more signing on!!!:D (Although I do need to go and tell them;))
I start tonight and will , with both jobs , be working around 18 hrs a week. I will be able to claim working tax credits so am going to be quite a bit better off!
I just need to figure out some meals to make before I go to work that are quick to heat up/ finish when I get home ..as I will be working 5-6pm . I will also have to add on the walking time as its too expensive to get there in the car! Am hoping I can walk it in 10 to 15 mins each way;) Am starting to panick at just how high the petrol price is going to go:eek:
Havent baked any buns yet as I have been on pins waiting for the phone call! Right I need to get off mse and get something done:D:D:D

Frugalista

Congratulations bertiebots!! :T:T:T:T

Pitlanepiglet

Fantastic, well done Bertiebots :T:T:T

D&DD

Well done Bertie!!:j

Has anyone heard how Kidcat got on with the bid thingy??

Ceridwen my case (like a few other posters her) is more about my kids care 'when I'm gone' and who will pay rather than mine...I've taken out a rather hefty life policy and made a specialist will which cost £650 :eek: so that I hope they will have enough money to look after them.
A lot of people have 3 generations to care for,elderly parents,ill spouses and disabled kids..wonder how they divvy up the money for care when that happens??

ceridwen

Congratulations on getting some more work:D.

Re the transport situation. According to my calculations - it takes 20 minutes to walk a mile - so a 10-15 minute walk twice a day = maximum 30 minutes walking per day and therefore 1.5 miles walking a day maximum in total and will be useful exercise.

Think of it as saving money on going off to Diet Clubs to lose weight. 1 to 1.5 miles walking per day is well within standard daily walking distance and will help burn off some calories.

<needs someone to say how many calories are walked off per mile at reasonable pace...>

icelandic_queen

Congratulations bertiebots!!

ceridwen

D&DD wrote: »

Well done Bertie!!:j

Has anyone heard how Kidcat got on with the bid thingy??

Ceridwen my case (like a few other posters her) is more about my kids care 'when I'm gone' and who will pay rather than mine...I've taken out a rather hefty life policy and made a specialist will which cost £650 :eek: so that I hope they will have enough money to look after them.
A lot of people have 3 generations to care for,elderly parents,ill spouses and disabled kids..wonder how they divvy up the money for care when that happens??

The "sandwich generation" - as my generation is called....:(

- ie the one that is often helping out children financially on the one hand and having to be "carers" for the one before them on the other hand...:cool:

I must say - I would be even more upset than my parents' generation if my hard-earned money was taken just because it was tied-up in a house if I had children. My (Baby Boomer) generation have usually managed to buy a house and therefore its a "matter of principle" for the generation before me not to be penalised for having been prudent with their money. However, if Baby Boomer me had had children then it would be absolutely VITAL that the money tied up in my house went straight through to them (in accordance with plan) as they simply wouldnt ever be able to buy a house of their own if it didnt (unless they were on VERY high salary that is - which would be unlikely in my case:(, as they would have been raised not to be too materialistic).

I've just got these visions of any children I had ever had having to live in a yurt or caravan if I wasnt able to leave my home to them as planned....