Nursing Home Payments.

allenmc2311

My mother was admitted to a nursing home last years.
The home cost more than the state allowed. A top up fee was payable direct to the Nursing Home. Which I paid.

However social security in their wisdom decided that they would not pay the full allowance and billed my mother an additional £134 per week. Which she was to pay from here state pension.
Mother passed away in August. Leaving no estate after funeral costs had been paid. I have now received a bill form social security for £3883 (28 weeks). Which they insist I pay either in one lump sum of by a monthly amount.

Both my wife and I work but like everyone at minute things a bit tight.

I have been lucky enough to work all my life and have never had any dealing with the social security system. So I know nothing of how it works, am I liable for this outstanding amount?

If I had the money I would pay it!

BrettMorganxD

allenmc2311 wrote: »

My mother was admitted to a nursing home last years.
The home cost more than the state allowed. A top up fee was payable direct to the Nursing Home. Which I paid.

However social security in their wisdom decided that they would not pay the full allowance and billed my mother an additional £134 per week. Which she was to pay from here state pension.
Mother passed away in August. Leaving no estate after funeral costs had been paid. I have now received a bill form social security for £3883 (28 weeks). Which they insist I pay either in one lump sum of by a monthly amount.

Both my wife and I work but like everyone at minute things a bit tight.

I have been lucky enough to work all my life and have never had any dealing with the social security system. So I know nothing of how it works, am I liable for this outstanding amount?

If I had the money I would pay it!

They don't give you much time to get over the bereavment these days, do they?

I think if you are the oldest child of your mother then, yes, you are liable for the bill. You can pay it off in monthly installments though no problem, not many people have £3,000 plus spare these days

pmlindyloo

My understanding is that when the nursing home fees are paid by the local authority then all of your mother's income (state pension etc) would be taken towards the fees and your mother should have been left with approx. £22 per week as her 'allowance'. Are you saying that your mother did not do this?

My mother who is a residential home pays a DD towards her fees, with the local authority paying the remainder. She is left with about £22 per week as her allowance.

First of all I would ask the nursing home (your mother should have been receiving invoices for her share of the fees each month) for a breakdown of fees that your mother owed.

Now, if your mother wasn't paying her share then it would make sense that there is an amount owing.

Now the difficult part. If your mother has no money in her 'estate' then it would seem that they can not recover the debt. However, social services will probably want 'proof' that there is no money available so I would gather all paperwork (bank statements, funeral costs etc etc) together as proof.

I am not an expert though and hope others will post to confirm/disagree.

sueturnersmith

I don't see how you can be held responsible for your mother's debts. If there is nothing left in her estate, then surely the debt should be written off?

Pollycat

I'd like clarification of this:

allenmc2311 wrote: »

The home cost more than the state allowed. A top up fee was payable direct to the Nursing Home. Which I paid.

However social security in their wisdom decided that they would not pay the full allowance and billed my mother an additional £134 per week. Which she was to pay from here state pension.

Who was funding your Mum's care?
Local/County Council or Primary Care Trust (if your Mum qualified for Continuing Health Care (CHC)?

What were their reasons for not paying the full allowance?
'In their wisdom' doesn't answer it - they must have stated a reason.

From what you say, you Mum's savings would have been less than £14250.00 so your Mum should have to contribute all her income (less £22.60 per week for personal expenses) - this will have included her state pension plus most other benefits (but not the mobility component of DLA).

What happened to your Mum's state pension/benefits when she was in the nursing home?

Who did they bill the extra £134 per week to?

I'd hold off following BrettMorgan's advice for the time being.

dzug1

BrettMorganxD wrote: »

I think if you are the oldest child of your mother then, yes, you are liable for the bill.

Utter rubbish

You may or may not be liable for the bill, (and are probably not, but that depends on answers to questions in other posts) but if you are it's absolutely nothing to do with you being the oldest child.

pmlindyloo

Pollycat wrote: »

I'd like clarification of this:


Who was funding your Mum's care?
Local/County Council or Primary Care Trust (if your Mum qualified for Continuing Health Care (CHC)?

What were their reasons for not paying the full allowance?
'In their wisdom' doesn't answer it - they must have stated a reason.

From what you say, you Mum's savings would have been less than £14250.00 so your Mum should have to contribute all her income (less £22.60 per week for personal expenses) - this will have included her state pension plus most other benefits (but not the mobility component of DLA).

What happened to your Mum's state pension/benefits when she was in the nursing home?

Who did they bill the extra £134 per week to?

I'd hold off following BrettMorgan's advice for the time being.

Good advice. Please don't start offering money or making payments until you know.

From what I've read you are not liable for your mother's 'debts'.

You could give Age Concern (believe it is called something else now but you can google it) a call and ask their advice.

PS Is DLA/AA payable when you are receiving help with the fees? It isn't payable in a care home. Are there different rules for nursing homes? Thought it was only payable if you were funding your own care.

allenmc2311

Mother went in to the nursing home in July 2010 as a temporary resident. She was made a permanent resident at the end of June this year. As she was classed as temporary social security did not take her pension and give her a weekly allowance. She was allowed to keep all her pension. They calculated that she would be able to pay the £134 per week to them as well as me paying to top up fee to the home. This left her with approx £25-30 per week for herself.

However because she was classed as temporary she could not give up her home (rented from local authority). Which meant she had to keep the normal bills Gas, electric, building and contents insurance. Although these were relative small they still had to be paid. Especially over the winter to prevent pipes etc freezing. But they will not take this in to account.

My mother was responsible for all of her own finances as she was of sound mind. Her problems were of a physical nature this why she was in the home.
As I have said I have no understanding of the social security system and if I had the money I would happily pay them just to get them off my back.
At the present I can just about afford to pay them about £100 pounds per month. But I have been told I may lose my job before the end of the years. What will happen then when I can’t pay them? If the worst does happen!

Dont know if this make things any clearer:undecided

allenmc2311

PS.
The bills were addressed to me. As they were unsure this would be Mum's permanent nursing home. But they were marked for her attention

sueturnersmith

My advice would be to stop paying until you get some legal advice.

Try CAB, or Age Concern.

pmlindyloo

I think you have misunderstood how it works.

The Local Authority do not literally 'take your pension'. The pension would still have been paid to your mother - check her bank account statements - and then she should have paid the £134 per week as her part of the fees. Did she do this? (Again check her bank statements)

If she was paying bills on her own home then it is extremely likely that she would not have been able to pay the £134 per week as well and this is how it has got into arrears.

This must be extremely stressful for you while you are grieving so try not to worry. Please give Age concern a ring and see what they say.

The consensus of opinion is that you are not liable and will not have to pay it back.