Putting home into family trust to avoid nursing home fees

margaretclare

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

Well it was not Southend - on - Sea hospital, nearer Heathrow airport flight path in SW London.

Did you read the "Vox Pop" comments under the Echo article Margaret?

I cannot fairly say that two experiences of SW London (and a friend's report of Southend) make me an expert - perhaps I have been unlucky and I am prepared to acknowledge that finances are stretched and our resources are overloaded.

I didn't read them before I added that quote. I'd heard by word of mouth from other people that they'd had good treatment. With strokes, speed is of the essence and that's where the 'clot-busting' treatment comes in. This must of course be preceded by accurate diagnosis by MRI scan to determine whether the stroke is caused by a bleed or by a clot. Southend Hospital has recently extended its MRI scanning facilities - DH experienced this earlier in the year when having investigations into his spinal problem.

Doc_N

heibulgcarcast1985 wrote: »

What you are suggesting is fraud ie a criminal offence. If set up a trust in order to claim benefit / care home fees you will be treated as if you still have the money.

You may be right on the second point. Your first point, however, is entirely incorrect.

chainsaw

alanq wrote: »

So you'd rather try to spend other persons' hard earned cash instead?

That's a bit harsh many people go through life spending all their money on booze fags and holidays then get free care many more never work and live off the state all their life including care in their old age. Why should someone who has worked and saved all their life have to use those savings if there is a legal way not too? And if there is not a legal way then perhaps the law should be changed

margaretclare

chainsaw wrote: »

That's a bit harsh many people go through life spending all their money on booze fags and holidays then get free care many more never work and live off the state all their life including care in their old age. Why should someone who has worked and saved all their life have to use those savings if there is a legal way not too? And if there is not a legal way then perhaps the law should be changed

If you want the law changed then write to your MP - that's the democratic way. But what would you want it changed to?

It is very harsh to condemn all those who start retirement on low incomes as having 'gone through life spending all their money on booze, fags and holidays'. This is a sweeping generalisation which cannot be true in all cases. It leaves out those folk who've struggled to bring up a family, had marriage breakdowns or widowhood, been on low earnings/insecure employment/repeated redundancies, and there are a lot of those. The ones you describe are the ones who get highlighted in the 'Daily Mail' but not the other hard-working sort who've just had a lot of bad luck.

John_Pierpoint

Meanwhile the powers that be, start identifying the problems:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22872019
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22932044

and on the other side of the pond, where some save a small fortune in INCOME TAX, not having the wicked socialised system of medical care, a whole lot more people are likely to die destitute.

http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_23476096/alzheimers-care-costs-cases-projected-double-30-years

frugalliving

I think it is disgusting for anyone who has WORKED all their life and PAID for everything themselves then to be hit further by having to pay for nursing home fees when they get the SAME care as someone who has done NOTHING all their lives and lived on benefits not saving for their future. I have worked in the administration side of care homes and it really is an unfair system on genuine people who deserve better! If it is funded for one then it should be funded for all, if not what is the use of working at all!

Errata

Government can't afford to fund residential care for everyone.

margaretclare

frugalliving wrote: »

I think it is disgusting for anyone who has WORKED all their life and PAID for everything themselves then to be hit further by having to pay for nursing home fees when they get the SAME care as someone who has done NOTHING all their lives and lived on benefits not saving for their future. I have worked in the administration side of care homes and it really is an unfair system on genuine people who deserve better! If it is funded for one then it should be funded for all, if not what is the use of working at all!

It cannot be true that EVERONE (you capitalised, so I will do the same) has 'done nothing all their lives and lived on benefits'. I've already pointed this out.

It must also be realised that it is only in comparatively recent times, with the disappearance of most of our major manufacturing industries, that 'doing nothing all one's life and living on benefits' has been an option. Therefore, it won't apply to many or most of those coming up to retirement or already retired.

To give an example, on our way back from the Hebrides and Highlands in the last few days, we drove through the west side of Glasgow and saw road signs to 'Clydebank'. I said to DH 'Isn't that where the shipbuilding industry used to be?' Yes, that's exactly where it used to be, where most employment was found, but no longer. We also stayed a night in a little town called Moffat. They used to produce wool - spinning, weaving etc - no longer. Same with Huddersfield, where we had Sunday lunch. There are people whose industries - where they thought they'd have a job for life and their descendants after them - and those industries disappeared from under them. To be replaced with - what?

It does annoy me when people make such sweeping generalisations without an ounce of evidence to back it up.

whitesatin

I agree it is annoying but I think we just need to accept that we will have to pay towards our old age, be grateful we get there and hope we have good health. I would love to leave "all" my money to my grown up children but, hey, even taking off the money I am likely to have to pay for any care home fees, they will still be getting more than I ever got as a windfall. They are now educated, in employment and enjoying their families and life. A nice little bonus from my estate will, hopefully, mean that their lives will be that bit more comfortable, that's all.

Torry_Quine

whitesatin wrote: »

I agree it is annoying but I think we just need to accept that we will have to pay towards our old age, be grateful we get there and hope we have good health. I would love to leave "all" my money to my grown up children but, hey, even taking off the money I am likely to have to pay for any care home fees, they will still be getting more than I ever got as a windfall. They are now educated, in employment and enjoying their families and life. A nice little bonus from my estate will, hopefully, mean that their lives will be that bit more comfortable, that's all.

Couldn't have put it better. :T