'Should you be forced to sell your home to pay for long term care?' poll

Former_MSE_Penelope

Poll started 3 January 2012, click here to vote

Should you be forced to sell your home to pay for long term care?

It's a highly emotive issue – and a difficult one for policy makers. So we've deliberately got rid of the shades of grey and made this as simple and stark a hypothetical choice as possible.

When the elderly need to go into long-term supported care, should they be forced to sell their home to raise the cash or should it be protected and the taxpayer foot the bill?

• People's homes should be protected, the taxpayer should pay
• If people have assets including homes, they should pay themselves

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rowansway

My father is in a care home and had to sell his house to support his care. What's really annoying though is that the guy in the next room quite probably hasn't paid a penny into the tax system, may not have done a day's work in his life, has claimed just about every benefit going - yet gets the same care free of charge.

Incidently, I believe that people should pay their own way for care homes - their former home is no longer suitable for their needs and the time has come to move to somewhere more appropriate. My father gets very good 24hr care where he is - and the peace of mind we get that he is being well looked after, not having falls, taking his medication etc etc is priceless.

kevin137

I agree that people should have to contribute to care home costs should they be able, but i don't believe that they should lose everything they have worked hard throughout life for to be taken away in this very unfair and decidedly one sided situation whereby you get the same care had you never worked a day in your life...!

I think a farer way to do this would be to take a percentage of inheritance tax allowance which i believe is currently £325,000 so set the liability to stop at £250,000 so if you had worked all your life you still had something to leave to your loved ones, unlike now where there is a pittance left...!

2sides2everystory

I am getting the message "It appears you have already voted in this poll. Please click here to view the results" when I don't recall having voted in this poll - I understand the poll only started 6 days ago - is it time to pack and get ready to sell my house to pay for my own care I wonder

nutty_girl_2001

It's a question of what is PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE, not what we'd like to have happen. There is no way on EARTH we can afford to provide everyone with free care without raising everyone's taxes to an astronomical level.

Far too many of us are living to too old an age - the NHS cannot handle this any more. It's a question of mathematics, not what we'd LIKE to have happen.

dumbblonde_2

Rent out the home to help pay towards cost.....the house would then still be there if the person decided to return, I have worked in a few homes and seen this where the person involved improved and wanted to go home but had no home to go to. Taking into consideration the cost of some of these care homes it could be cheaper to pay someone to deliver personal care at home. After all given the choice, wouldn't most of us prefer to be home rather than being forced to share a room with a stranger as can happen, or even change the way things are and turn care homes into care hotels......

Tigsteroonie

I'm (hopefully) 30 years away from needing funded care in my old age.

I'd be reluctant to pay increased taxes now simply on a "promise" from the current government that I won't have to find the money to pay for any care in 30 years' time. Policies change, governments change, funding crises happen ... Can I please choose to save this extra money myself instead?

iberian

Yes, I think people with assets should contribute to their food, accommodation, and assistance with daily tasks. If this involves sale of their previous home that has to be a fairer option than expecting the taxpayer to pay. However, 3 points:

1. We have a current elderly generation who, for very many, owning a home was a great achievement (like my mum) and it is heartbreaking for them to lose what they strived so hard for.

2. Where the need to enter a residential home is based largely on a medical condition the NHS should shoulder a reasonable portion of the costs.

3. There should be much more control over residential/nursing home costs. To me, many seem extortionate. I am uneasy over the privatisation of this sector. It seems wrong to profit from someone else's vulnerability.

iberian

In reply to rental suggestion - Excellent idea - provided rental income covered costs of care. I doubt it in many cases.

rowansway

iberian wrote: »

2. Where the need to enter a residential home is based largely on a medical condition the NHS should shoulder a reasonable portion of the costs.

They already do if someone is assessed to have nursing needs.

iberian

rowansway wrote: »

They already do if someone is assessed to have nursing needs.

My experience may be a bit out of date but I believe the nursing element that the NHS pays, in most cases, is a very small proportion. To qualify for full ongoing costs to be met by the NHS is a rare and tortuous process