Care home fees and pension

Query11

My dad is in a care home, my mum lives in the family home which they own 50/50.
Dad is privately funded and has been for the last 3 years - his savings are just coming down to the 23k threshold so have requested a financial assessment.
My dad had a lump sum from his private pension and gets a monthly amount, is my mum entitled to any of this money? If so how much?Mum gets a state pension but this doesn't come close to covering her bills ie utility so she uses her own savings.
For example, if the house they own 50/50 needs repair then can she use some of my dad's savings to pay for this as there is no way she could afford it on her pension.
Thanks

xylophone

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/EN-GB/Factsheets/FS39_Paying_for_care_in_a_care_home_if_you_have_a_partner_fcs.pdf?dtrk=true

Anything here to assist?

Mojisola

Query11 wrote: »

Mum gets a state pension but this doesn't come close to covering her bills ie utility so she uses her own savings.

Does she claim Pension Credit as well?

Query11

No she doesn't

Mojisola

It would be worth asking for your parents to have a benefits review to make sure they are both getting what they are entitled to - AgeUK will do this.

If your father needs residential care, has he been getting Attendance Allowance?

Your mother should also be getting 50% of your father's private pension which will probably take her above the PC limit but still check it out.

Query11

Thanks for the AgeUK link, this is just what I was after. Mum has not touched dad's pension in the last 3 years, my mum has above the 23k threshold in savings, does this affect anything? I.e as she has her own savings is she still entitled to 50% of my dad's pension?
Yes my mum claims DLA which goes towards my dad's fees.
Thanks for your responses, I appreciate your help

Pollycat

Mojisola wrote: »

It would be worth asking for your parents to have a benefits review to make sure they are both getting what they are entitled to - AgeUK will do this.

If your father needs residential care, has he been getting Attendance Allowance?

Your mother should also be getting 50% of your father's private pension which will probably take her above the PC limit but still check it out.

I'm not sure if things have changed over the last few years since my Dad was in a care home, but they had the choice of whether Mum should take this 50%.

As it would have put Mum above the pension credit threshold, we opted to leave Dad with 100%.

Mojisola

Pollycat wrote: »

I'm not sure if things have changed over the last few years since my Dad was in a care home, but they had the choice of whether Mum should take this 50%.

As it would have put Mum above the pension credit threshold, we opted to leave Dad with 100%.

The 50% doesn't have to passed to the spouse - if it isn't, then it's counted towards the care home fees.

It's a bit of an anomaly that the spouse can refuse to have a share of the pension and then claim PC but a few of these foibles exist in the benefit system.