Advice needed about moving in with elderly grandmother!!

kelticangel

Hi Moneysavers

Looking for a bit of advice! My grandmother is 90 years old and lives in a council house (which she has done for more than 30 years), although she still enjoys life her memory is fading a little. We are all a little worried about her using such things as the cooker etc "just in case" so she now survives on ready made meals for the microwave, which cannot be healthy for her, there are also stairs in the house which she manages quite well but are afraid that she might have a fall and no-one be there.

My partner and I own our own flat have done since 2005 but are considering moving in with my grandmother and selling our flat. The real question we are asking ourselves is "what if the worst happened and my grandmother passed away? Would we be homeless?" We are both full time employed and have considered buying her house as she would get the big discount and also be an investment for the future? - its all a bit muddled in my mind at the moment but would like to know your thoughts on the matter!

* She wont move out to somewhere smaller or somewhere where there is some help and she wouldnt like a stranger coming in

* My mum has offered for her to come stay there but she regularly has my brothers four children staying weekends etc which means little room and little people to fall over and little peace and quite

* She couldnt live with us in an upper flat!!

What are the finacial implications to us and my grandmother?

Is there something else im not thinking about?

Help!

bonnie_2

The tenancy is in her name so wouldn't be able to be passed to you. If you watched evicted last week a daugter and grandaughter were living with her mum and got evicted when she died.
I also know a 16 year old who was evicted when her mum died, the tenancy can only pass to a partner.
You can not buy the house either as the discounts apply to her only.

Iguana

Has she had an assessment from Social Services?
If she is having physical difficulty with some daily activities, equipment or minor adaptations might help.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

You need to go to the council housing office and request that you, your partner and grandmother need a joint tenancy agreement drafting up, or tell them you want to take over the tenancy as your grandmother isn't in best health and she needs you to look after her.

bonnie_2

Actually, you are allowed one succession. So if the tenancy was with your grandad and then your nan had it when he died, you wouldn't be allowed to.
But if your nan's only had it in her name then it is possible providing you have lived there for a year, before she died.

peter999

Can your grandmother with you & your family buy the house somehow ??

peter999

krisskross

What about moving in to help out your grandmother and renting out your flat? This way you would always have a home to return to and eventually the house your grandmother lives in will be returned to the LA to house another family.

HOWMUCH

kelticangel wrote:

Hi Moneysavers

The real question we are asking ourselves is "what if the worst happened and my grandmother passed away? Would we be homeless?" We are both full time employed and have considered buying her house as she would get the big discount and also be an investment for the future? - its all a bit muddled in my mind at the moment but would like to know your thoughts on the matter!

What are the finacial implications to us and my grandmother?

/QUOTE]

Not quite sure if you would be homeless if your names are not on the rental agreement then you maybe.

If you purchase the house then the property will become yours if all three names are on the deeds(you need to do this because the house needs to be bought along with your Grandma to enable you to qualify for the discount) Your Grandma leaves you her share in the property upon death, and the property becomes your to do with what you wish.

Does you Grandma receive any housing benefit? she will lose this if she does. Council Tax will go up to the full rate no 25% discount(single person)
If you purchase the property then you will have legal fees.

HTH

kelticangel

peter999 wrote:

Can your grandmother with you & your family buy the house somehow ??

peter999

thanks to all the replies, been very helpful, of course i would love to buy the property as she has had the same kitchen in there for 22 years and in desperate need of repair been waiting now 17 months for someone from the council to come and look at it. We are told its not priority!!

My problem with buying the house is my grandmothers sons? Could they contest the will if the house was bought in her name (to qualify for discount) but i paid for it? Going to see a solicitor on Wednesday! What do you think?

krisskross

I think it is wrong for you to buy it. The property has provided a low cost home for your grandmother for decades, and now you want to buy it, so you can turn a profit on it. The house should eventually be used to provide a family home for someone unable to buy.

I would have had no problems with it had your grandmother bought it 20 years ago and continued to live in it but I feel you are taking advantage of the fact that you could buy a cheap house.

Scarlett1

I think the sooner the 'right to buys are scrapped' the better

kelticangel you cant buy a council property that isnt in your name, if you lend your gran the money to buy the flat then it will be part of her assets as it will be in her name and will be divided up according to her will, so yes your uncles could have a share of it which is rightly so.

My LA has recently turfed out 3 people living in council properties that dont belong to them, they have been offered to go on the waiting list to get the property back, but will be assessed according to needs, but the next families waiting to be housed will get the properties.