Cost of care for the elderly

AskAsk

Lindagreenacre said:

Think that I need to go on expensive holidays.  

lol, exactly this!  people spends thousands on expensive cruises when they retire.  time to see the world and enjoy the money they have worked for and saved up all their working life.  then, some years down the line, they need care and if only they had not gone on those expensive holidays and blew all that money.  so now, the rest of us have to pay for this......  things need to change as the rest of us can't afford to pay for care for the elderly any more as it is becoming a crisis with people living longer and so inevitably ending up in care.

Mojisola

kaysdee said:

I recently got a shock as I was under the misapprehension that capital under £14,250 meant a fully funded place. My husband is 62 (I’m younger) diagnosed with young onset dementia 5 years ago and we still have kids at home. He lost his PIP as expected when he went into a temporary placement last year and only has ESA now. His placement is now permanent and a new financial assessment says the LA now expect him to use his ESA to contribute, leaving him with only £28 per week personal allowance. Our home is disregarded but they allowed no deductions for any essential household costs (insurances, etc) or allowance for the kids. I work full time but not highly paid. It’s very difficult both emotionally and financially.

I think you can claim benefits as a single person now - get advice about it.

Pollycat

AskAsk said:

Lindagreenacre said:

Think that I need to go on expensive holidays.  

lol, exactly this!  people spends thousands on expensive cruises when they retire.  time to see the world and enjoy the money they have worked for and saved up all their working life.  then, some years down the line, they need care and if only they had not gone on those expensive holidays and blew all that money.  so now, the rest of us have to pay for this......  things need to change as the rest of us can't afford to pay for care for the elderly any more as it is becoming a crisis with people living longer and so inevitably ending up in care.

So what do you suggest?
That people who have worked all their lives (as I and my husband have) are not allowed to go on holidays in case they need the money to pay for their care that may or may not be required?

Not everyone will end up going into a care home.

I_Love_comps

My mom is self funding. New monthly amount over £8,000.
I shall have to get a financial assessment sometime this year .as her money is dwindling.
Ridiculous amount.

Spendless

kaysdee said:

I recently got a shock as I was under the misapprehension that capital under £14,250 meant a fully funded place. My husband is 62 (I’m younger) diagnosed with young onset dementia 5 years ago and we still have kids at home. He lost his PIP as expected when he went into a temporary placement last year and only has ESA now. His placement is now permanent and a new financial assessment says the LA now expect him to use his ESA to contribute, leaving him with only £28 per week personal allowance. Our home is disregarded but they allowed no deductions for any essential household costs (insurances, etc) or allowance for the kids. I work full time but not highly paid. It’s very difficult both emotionally and financially.

Maybe I misunderstood but I thought that assets under £14, 250 meant you didn't pay as such for your care but you could only keep £28 a week of any income that you receive. 

AskAsk

Pollycat said:

AskAsk said:

Lindagreenacre said:

Think that I need to go on expensive holidays.  

lol, exactly this!  people spends thousands on expensive cruises when they retire.  time to see the world and enjoy the money they have worked for and saved up all their working life.  then, some years down the line, they need care and if only they had not gone on those expensive holidays and blew all that money.  so now, the rest of us have to pay for this......  things need to change as the rest of us can't afford to pay for care for the elderly any more as it is becoming a crisis with people living longer and so inevitably ending up in care.

So what do you suggest?
That people who have worked all their lives (as I and my husband have) are not allowed to go on holidays in case they need the money to pay for their care that may or may not be required?

Not everyone will end up going into a care home.

with people living longer, care is inevitable.  you may not go into a care home but you may need care visits at home, which is also funded by the council.

at the moment there is no requirement for people to save towards old age, and i think it is about time that people are forced to do so.  it is not possible to expect younger people to continue to pay the bills for the elderly because they have spent all their money on holidays or gifted it to their children and grandchildren.

I have said before, there needs to be a compulsory plan, like the personal pension, where everyone needs to contribute and that can used later on for care needs.  if you don't need to use the pot, you can use it for funeral expense or your relation can inherit it.  At the moment, the public purse pays for everything, and people do not have to contribute if their savings or income are below a certain threshold at the time.  They may have used up a lot of money by that time, that they wouldn't otherwise have done if they thought they needed to save for care.

elsien

Spendless said:

kaysdee said:

I recently got a shock as I was under the misapprehension that capital under £14,250 meant a fully funded place. My husband is 62 (I’m younger) diagnosed with young onset dementia 5 years ago and we still have kids at home. He lost his PIP as expected when he went into a temporary placement last year and only has ESA now. His placement is now permanent and a new financial assessment says the LA now expect him to use his ESA to contribute, leaving him with only £28 per week personal allowance. Our home is disregarded but they allowed no deductions for any essential household costs (insurances, etc) or allowance for the kids. I work full time but not highly paid. It’s very difficult both emotionally and financially.

Maybe I misunderstood but I thought that assets under £14, 250 meant you didn't pay as such for your care but you could only keep £28 a week of any income that you receive. 

That is what’s happening. I think the poster is querying though, because her husband‘s money is all going to pay for his care, and it leaves the family still at home in more straitened circumstances. Probably more so because he’s younger with children who are maybe  not yet earning. 

So the house is disregarded, but the full cost of maintenance and insurance et cetera appear to be landing on the partner.
@kaysdee how old are your children and have you taken independent advice about this?

kaysdee

Yes, this is what I had not realised. That even though his only income is ESA (contribution based), that part of this would be taken so he’s only left with £28 per week for the rest of his life.

Our eldest is 20 and severely disabled (he has just this week moved to supported living, not without its own issues/stress), middle child 18.5 (university) and youngest literally just turned 17, first year A Levels.

Not unique, but probably rare that someone would end up in a care home in these circumstances, so I’ve appealed to the LA to at least consider some disregard for our youngest as the information I read at Age UK suggests there can be some discretion applied. Believe me, after a lifetime of dealing with social services for my son, I know all too well that everything is on its knees. We could have never foreseen that this was to come next. 

Savvy_Sue

AskAsk said:

I have said before, there needs to be a compulsory plan, like the personal pension, where everyone needs to contribute and that can used later on for care needs.  if you don't need to use the pot, you can use it for funeral expense or your relation can inherit it.  At the moment, the public purse pays for everything, and people do not have to contribute if their savings or income are below a certain threshold at the time.  They may have used up a lot of money by that time, that they wouldn't otherwise have done if they thought they needed to save for care.

Personal pensions are not compulsory: if you don't earn enough then you have to choose to opt in. 

And with the rise of the gig economy, and more and more people working several part-time jobs, fewer people are automatically opted in.

Plus, you can opt out at any time.

Increasing numbers of people feel they can't afford a pension, never mind future care home fees.

Pollycat

AskAsk said:

Pollycat said:

AskAsk said:

Lindagreenacre said:

Think that I need to go on expensive holidays.  

lol, exactly this!  people spends thousands on expensive cruises when they retire.  time to see the world and enjoy the money they have worked for and saved up all their working life.  then, some years down the line, they need care and if only they had not gone on those expensive holidays and blew all that money.  so now, the rest of us have to pay for this......  things need to change as the rest of us can't afford to pay for care for the elderly any more as it is becoming a crisis with people living longer and so inevitably ending up in care.

So what do you suggest?
That people who have worked all their lives (as I and my husband have) are not allowed to go on holidays in case they need the money to pay for their care that may or may not be required?

Not everyone will end up going into a care home.

with people living longer, care is inevitable.  you may not go into a care home but you may need care visits at home, which is also funded by the council.

at the moment there is no requirement for people to save towards old age, and i think it is about time that people are forced to do so.  it is not possible to expect younger people to continue to pay the bills for the elderly because they have spent all their money on holidays or gifted it to their children and grandchildren.

I have said before, there needs to be a compulsory plan, like the personal pension, where everyone needs to contribute and that can used later on for care needs.  if you don't need to use the pot, you can use it for funeral expense or your relation can inherit it.  At the moment, the public purse pays for everything, and people do not have to contribute if their savings or income are below a certain threshold at the time.  They may have used up a lot of money by that time, that they wouldn't otherwise have done if they thought they needed to save for care.

I am posting purely from my own situation.
Having had a reasonably well paid job (in IT), I've paid a load of NI contributions over my working life.
I've not taken any benefits out, not even child benefit.
My council tax has gone towards funding for schools - which I've not benefited from.
I have a private pension together with my state pension.
That funds my lifestyle, which includes several holidays each year.
I've saved for my retirement - so I've saved for my old age even though there was/is no requirement to do so.
Nobody forced me to do it.

There is no certainty that I will need care at home. If there is, I will be able to fund it myself.

I have no children or grandchildren to gift my money to.

The'public purse' pays nothing for me.

You're banging the drum at the wrong person.