can we avoid care home charges

tooldle

To give some perspective to the OP. My mum lives in a residential home. The cost is £585 per week, or £30420 per year. You have mentioned several times that you have paid into the system over the years. You have also said that you paid a reduced stamp, and earned at minimum wage level. In reality, how much in tax and NI do you think you have contributed to the system? as others have said, you have had the benefit of healthcare and education over the years. Current cost for school education is approx £5000 per child per year.
I could be wrong, but I think it is something along the lines of 7 out of every 10 of the working population take out more than they put in.
I have looked at a lot of care homes in recent times, and echo what others have said; use your funds to provide yourself with the best quality of care. Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

dancingfairy

Don't forget inheritance tax may come into force as well. I think if you give a gift to your children and you die within 7 years of the gift then they are taxed on it.
Perhaps an IFA would be able to talk you through some options to minimise tax etc etc?
df

ognum

dancingfairy wrote: »

Don't forget inheritance tax may come into force as well. I think if you give a gift to your children and you die within 7 years of the gift then they are taxed on it.
Perhaps an IFA would be able to talk you through some options to minimise tax etc etc?
df

Just for the sake of accuracy and I'm sure it's what you meant it is not the person who pays tax it is the deceased estate.

spaniel_dog

tooldle wrote: »

To give some perspective to the OP. My mum lives in a residential home. The cost is £585 per week, or £30420 per year. You have mentioned several times that you have paid into the system over the years. You have also said that you paid a reduced stamp, and earned at minimum wage level. In reality, how much in tax and NI do you think you have contributed to the system? as others have said, you have had the benefit of healthcare and education over the years. Current cost for school education is approx £5000 per child per year.
I could be wrong, but I think it is something along the lines of 7 out of every 10 of the working population take out more than they put in.
I have looked at a lot of care homes in recent times, and echo what others have said; use your funds to provide yourself with the best quality of care. Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

I am really perplexed at what others have read into my comments, of course I appreciate what we have taken in services, I dont live in a selfish bubble, my point is care should be equal for all and not based on who has or does not have assets, my mother was in care home it was a lovely place with very good staff, she was there state funded for most she obviously had her pension paid to them but her good friend in that home was a lady who had money so she was paying a lot for the same care my mum was getting, Im sorry however its wrapped up its discrimination between the haves and have nots, thanks for good wishes

pollypenny

I doubt whether you have paid anything to my care. However, I allow that your taxes contribute to the 'commonwealth' of the population, including me.

No need to tell me you marched wit the miners. I am a miner's daughter, granddaughter and great- granddaughter.

Now you've established your credentials, I'm sure you'll pay your way.

In spite of our differences, I hope that you enjoy many years of good health and never need a care home.

peachyprice

spaniel_dog wrote: »

education and transport comes out the community charge which we paid like everyone else

Who on earth told you that?

Nicki

spaniel_dog wrote: »

my point is care should be equal for all and not based on who has or does not have assets,

But why?

State funded care for elderly people who cannot live independently and have no assets to pay for it is part of the welfare system. It isn't and hasn't for a long time been a universal benefit. You might just as well say that everyone of working age should get a payment equivalent to Income Support whether they are in work or not, or that the whole population should get housing benefit irrespective of means.

The reason you came in for criticism is because you knew that this was a means tested benefit and were asking for advice on how to defraud the system.

Soleil_lune

spaniel_dog wrote: »

well this as been quite an experience, I joined this site and posted a serious question in the hope I may receive some useful advice and comments around a decision we may need to come to. I hoped to discover the rules around selling home and giving the funds to children now, would the rules allow if requirement for care home came about would the children have to pay for our care from that financial gift.
it was serious question needing informative answer
The reason we need to think along those lines, we realized this house would need adapting to suit physical problems of health issue, we need to consider raising finance to do some building or adaptions so we could remain in our house, or sell move into small ground floor flat giving the children bulk of the funds, either way we may still need care home facilities in the future and if we have sold and given assets away would we have done something illegal
I have been utterly disgusted at some of the comments and insults, could say many back in retaliation but I am used to having sensible discussions not rising to some of these remarks, I do thank Sapphireeye and 74Jax for their very helpful input, to the rest, no I dont expect you to pay for my care although in my 50 working years I must have paid plenty towards yours, yes I do understand what taxes are used for and now I say goodnight from someone who acquired a record many years ago for my protests against the poll tax, marched with the miners, forced our hospital to overturn the plan to make 1000 staff redundant, I say to those who are worried about your pensions and social packages, get out there and change it, my mantra always has been 'if all those who say what can I do did something, something would be done'
dont think I will be using this site again meet nicer people on Facebook and Twitter get advice from google

Hi SD.

I'm so sorry you feel this way. I can see both sides here, and I can understand why your post got peoples backs up, but some people are very harsh in their answers when something irritates them.

But in a way, I can see it from your point of view actually 'why should I have to sell my home for my care and deprive my daughters of their inheritance when I (and my husband) have worked all our lives virtually, when people who did not buy their own homes, and always rented, get their care free?' Many have asked this and it is a fair question. It does seem unfair.

Unfortunately, some of the things that you posted did not add up ('I had private this and private that,' but then said 'I was on minimum wage and had hardly anything...') unless you're on about differing stages in your life... So this was picked up on too. And it's correct that people pay into the state to help them when they need it and to help others;; not so they can get the lot back when they retire, and try every trick in the book to make sure they get it.

But again, I can understand your frustration and annoyance at how you have seemingly worked so hard for so long, and are having to subsequently be 'punished' while others seemingly 'take take take' all their lives . It's a never-ending debate, to which there is no correct answer, and nobody can ever be right.

As some people on here have said though; if you 'do' wait and sell your home for your care, then you may get better care if you go private. That said: if you don't have a MASSIVE amount of equity, (say £40K) then in a private care home that is not going to go far. Some cost £2000 to £3000 a month. So £40K is not going to go far.

I also disagree with all state funded homes being awful: my best friend works in one, caring for the disabled and elderly, and it has 55 patients, and they do lots of activities with them, and they love it there. Maybe a few are awful, but I am pretty sure a few privately funded ones are too!

Once again SD. Don't take the harsh comments to heart. Many people on here are friendly people. Don't be put off

spaniel_dog

pollypenny wrote: »

I doubt whether you have paid anything to my care. However, I allow that your taxes contribute to the 'commonwealth' of the population, including me.

No need to tell me you marched wit the miners. I am a miner's daughter, granddaughter and great- granddaughter.

Now you've established your credentials, I'm sure you'll pay your way.

In spite of our differences, I hope that you enjoy many years of good health and never need a care home.

I have always paid my way when its just, I will not line the pockets of private care owners I know some of them through my work history and they rake it in, I dont agree with private care when so many cant afford, I dont like discrimination, I could have afforded to pay poll tax but I chose to riot instead and we made better world for todays generation the same generation that have said I live in a selfish bubble, my father and all the generations of my family were miners and if you have the Christmas card that was put out at time of miners struggle, you can spot me and my other half in the middle of the march holding the banner, the card was called 'we all struggle with the miners' we got soaked that day and my other half ended up with pneumonia ever since his working and earning capability reduced, this is the actions of what others have said is selfish, they want to get facts right

mountainofdebt

spaniel_dog wrote: »

I have always paid my way when its just, I will not line the pockets of private care owners I know some of them through my work history and they rake it in, I dont agree with private care when so many cant afford, I dont like discrimination, I could have afforded to pay poll tax but I chose to riot instead and we made better world for todays generation the same generation that have said I live in a selfish bubble, my father and all the generations of my family were miners and if you have the Christmas card that was put out at time of miners struggle, you can spot me and my other half in the middle of the march holding the banner, the card was called 'we all struggle with the miners' we got soaked that day and my other half ended up with pneumonia ever since his working and earning capability reduced, this is the actions of what others have said is selfish, they want to get facts right

Private care homes have only flourished as society as deemed it impractical or woudl rather not have the family not to look after its eldery.

Of course if you wanted to protect your daughters inheritance to the max you could always ask them to look after you when the time comes