Complicated - can I live in grandparents house

Mummylou22

I have one grandparent in care, the other about to go into care. Their property has been protected so far and we've helped my gran live there for as long as possible, now she's unable to stay on her own. It's all been pretty terrible.

My family has always struggled with housing, we have gone between rented and council and rented with housing benefit. We struggle for money and long for a place we can be sustainable and grow our veg, have a place for the children to play etc. I'm aware that when my grab leaves her home for full time care, when the money they saved runs out they will want the house to be sold for the proceeds.

Reading up, the house isn't sold straight away, it's ignored for 12 weeks (although the council keep quiet about that) and my grandparents still have some savings to pay their way with.

What I'm after is this: is there a legal way that we can live in their house? If we moved in when my gran left, where would we stand legally, if we were

Caz3121

would your family be able to pay the care fees when the savings run out?

Mummylou22

Apologies, typing this on my phone and the screen glitched.

If we were to move in and pay rent to my grans account, would we be allowed to stay? Would the council make us homeless to pay the care bill? I have two children and a husband who can't currently work for ill health. I know we would probably lose housing benefit but wondered what we could do to gain that back - is it as simple as registering the POA as a landlord, are there regulations on electrics etc before someone can live there on a tenancy? I know plenty of places that my friends rent that don't meet my estimation of a good house to rent...

Mummylou22

I know that your average rent would not even touch the care home fees. I could afford to pay rent, but not the fees no

Alter_ego

A few years back if a close relation over 60yr lived there as their only residence, a council could ignore the house.
May have changed in the last 8yrs though.

Caz3121

there is some information here on deferred payments where they can put charge on the property to reclaim the fees when it is sold at a later date
https://www.independentage.org/factsheets/do-i-need-to-sell-my-property-to-pay-for-my-care-home-fees/
but note they would expect the money to be paid within 90 days of death so does not really give your family a lot of additional security

Guest101

Does anyone (outside of you, your husband or your children) actually want you to live there?

Mummylou22

Everyone else in my family owns their own property and to move there would be a downsize and a move into a not so great area. So I believe that the plan would be to sell and let the care home take from the pot til it's gone. A deferred payment might be worth looking into, thank you, will take a look

AdrianC

Mummylou22 wrote: »

Everyone else in my family owns their own property and to move there would be a downsize and a move into a not so great area. So I believe that the plan would be to sell and let the care home take from the pot til it's gone.

Does your gran still have the capacity to make major decisions like that?
If not, who has power of attorney over her affairs?

Cisco001

How big is the house?
How about your family live with your grandparent and take care of him instead of going to care home?

Mummylou22

I would love to live there and take care of her, but I have to work, my husband isn't capable and at her current stage of dementia she a: wouldn't cope with that amount of people in the house and b: doesn't come well when the children visit,let alone living with them. It's only a 2bed place so there wouldn't be room anyway. If it had enough rooms I would consider moving us in with her but I don't think it will be practical and I can't quit work to look after her or we will have no income.