Elderly care help please

Ruby_woo

Mr and mrs smith own their own home no mortgage.

Joint savings account with approx 80.000 in.

Mr smith has to either go into a nursing home or have carers in.

They wanted to leave their jointly owned home to their son who doesn't live with them.

Does the authorities take the house off them or just the savings?

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks

Money_maker

They cant take the house as its jointly owned. Will take half the savings into account.

Ruby_woo

Thank you money maker. So the house would still be able to be left to their only son? The LA don't say that house would have to be sold on the death of mrs smith and then pay the LA back? x

thorsoak

Let me get this straight: they own a house outright, they have £80,000 in savings and, presumably, are in receipt of DWP state pension.

Mr Smith junior cannot look after his father, who will either have to have carers in, or go into a care home, but wants to keep all their savings and have the value of their home when both parents die? Is this correct?

Who do you think should be paying for their care?

Ruby_woo

No not correct quite. Mr and mrs smith realise that they will have to use all of their savings to maybe have carers in but yes they would like to leave their property to their son. I don't want a row over this or the moral views of people just the legal facts please.

mountainofdebt

Ruby_woo wrote: »

No not correct quite. Mr and mrs smith realise that they will have to use all of their savings to maybe have carers in but yes they would like to leave their property to their son. I don't want a row over this or the moral views of people just the legal facts please.

But can they not see what they would like to do and what is probably best for them may be two different things?

I know exactly where they are coming from - there is a situation in my family where a relation is not thinking about her needs or what's best for her but is struggling to cope in a house simply for this reason.

Of course at the end of the day their son may actually prefer for his parents to be well looked after than inheriting a house

Ruby_woo

Ok let's rephrase it.

If mr smith has all the care he needs by using carers, etc and uses all of his savings to do this before the LA step in, would mrs smiths savings and the house be taken off them. Mr smith wants to stay at home not go into a home.

It's not a case of smith junior wanting his parents house etc, the smiths want to know the legalities.

pol-zeath

Any savings over £23,500 will be taken into account.

If Mr Smith goes into a nursing home or care at home they will be self-funding until until they reach the £23,500 threshold.

If Mr Smith dies and Mrs Smith then needs care at home and their savings have run out they will be funded.

If Mrs smith has to then go into a nursing home SS will look to sell the house

Ruby_woo

Thank you pol zeath


So to clarify. Mr smith will use his half of the savings until they reduce to 23,500 then the LA help out with the help of mr smiths state pension, private pension etc etc

Mrs smiths savings will not be touched and mrs smith could in theory keep her savings and the family home and leave it to mr smith junior as long as she doesn't require help in the future. If she does then her savings and property will be used to fund this. Is that correct?

pol-zeath

If they are joint savings in both their names I would think the whole amount will be taken into consideration until the £23,500 is reached.

Brighton_belle

It will also depend on Mr Smiths private pensions - his income may be considered too much to get any help with fees regardless of his savings dropping below 23,500.


Any savings in Mrs smiths name only, will not be touched. Nor will the house as she is still entitled to live in it.
If her husband dies first and she never needs funded care, she will be able to leave the house to her son.