Care home assessment (how long should it take?)

michelle568

Hello,
I just wondered how long, roughly, a council assessment for care home fees should take. My mum was about £20k over the £23,500 threshold and I submitted all the paperwork for assessment in December 2022. 

I received the assessment back eight months later, in August 2023 (an assessment had been done for October 2022 onwards and another for April 2023 onwards as the fees increased - they used her October 2022 balance for both). 

We got Court of Protection at the end of August 2023 and she died a week later, in early Sept 2023.

The council have billed us for all the care home fees, but I'm arguing that they took too long to do an assessment and she would have dropped below the threshold and been entitled to some support had we had the invoice earlier (I had the money to pay but no account details). I did chase it a couple of times and was told they were dealing it and to wait.

My question really is - should an assessment have taken eight months? There was no property or assets involved - just two pensions a month (one private/one state) and the usual household expenses such as rent, lecky etc. 


Thank you

lisyloo

No it shouldn't take that long in an ideal world, but it can all be sorted retrospectively so it's not their priority.

Now you have all the figures in retrospect, it should be possible to get it all sorted.
I'm not condoning it but staff issues exist everywhere across the country. It's extremely frustrating.

HillStreetBlues

I agree it shouldn't have taken that long.
Have you worked out the correct amount that should be paid?

michelle568

Thank you.

I have worked out what I think my mum owes, and I am going to dispute £7,000 of it but pay the rest of it over in a lump sum now. I just wanted to double-check check this length of time wasn't the norm for an assessment. 

This council is known for being notoriously slow. We've been waiting nearly a year and a half for them to change the rent agreement to my brother's name (he's lived with my mum since pre-2012 and she went into the care home last October) and they still haven't done it. It's all quite complicated and frustrating really, especially as he's now struggling to get housing benefits (as he is unemployed).  

Thank you for your help. I have written a polite letter, clearly explaining my thought process and workings out on this matter, and shall see what they say. 

HillStreetBlues

Make sure they use the diminishing capital rule for the deduction between  £14,250 and £23,250
With the rough timeline should be at least £20k left if no other spending.