Parental care advice - help !!

barnsleynanna

My two elderly parents live some distance from myself and my husband (we both currently work full time). My husband retires in less than 2 years, and our plan was to sell our property and move to our static caravan in the summer time, spending time in the Winter with my parents and doing household repairs, decorating etc. Obviously we would have to go across there on a regular basis as well, to assist with medical issues, hospital appointments, etc. My question is this... if we put our address down as my parent's address, and effectively 'stayed/lived' with them for at least three months of the year, could the government still force a sale of the property, if they needed full time care, and if so, is this cost capped per person/per couple? I'm aware that us putting down that we reside there part of the year will affect their benefits whilst they're alive, and we can justify making this up to them, but just looking for anyone in a similar situation/making similar decisions to advise?

TBagpuss

Buying a share of their property might be the way forward. I suggest that you or your parents talk to a solicitor who is a member of STEP and who has experience in dealing with cost of Care cases.

Mojisola

barnsleynanna wrote: »

My question is this... if we put our address down as my parent's address, and effectively 'stayed/lived' with them for at least three months of the year, could the government still force a sale of the property, if they needed full time care

The government doesn't force anyone to sell their house. If you are assessed as self-funding, how you pay the care home bill is your problem - if it means you have to sell the home you no longer live in, that's the decision you make.

If only one of a couple needs residential care, the value of the house is not taken into account so it's only if both need care or the survivor of the couple needs care that it would be included in the financial assessment.

It's worth reading the AgeUK website about paying for care - there's lots of good information there.

barba

Consider amending property to tenants in common and redirecting half share into trust on death of first parent