Cost of going into a care home.

sloughflint

Oh dear, oh dear. I tend to use MSE for educational reasons. I like browsing just to pick up things I wasn't aware of.
I could swear MSE is changing-and not for the better. The useful factual posts are still there but you certainly have to wade through peripheral judgmental twaddle too that is of no help to the original posters ( and yes, so is this, I know).
Some threads then have to be removed and the useful posts with information for other people are gone for good thanks to a few ignoramuses.
Often the problems stem from people not reading carefully enough.
This thread isn't too bad yet but has all the makings. People need a thick skin to consider posting on MSE nowadays.

sloughflint

Cacran wrote: »

Thanks again Margaret. Pink Fairy, my dad does have helpers come to the home and she goes to day centres 3 days a week now she is also getting respite care so he hasn't got it too bad in a sense. I guess that he being 77 and having to deal with mum getting up and dressed in the night trying to get out of the house and being incontinent etc is getting him down. He has a jolly good moan to me about it. He is quite selfish at times but he does have a huge cross to bear realistically.

Cacran, surely your Dad needs support at night too. No wonder he's moaning. He must be permanently worried sick and not sleeping well. He's being very unselfish looking after his DW.
Please don't let the couple of negative posters on here get you down and make you feel you need to justify yourself. You've got some excellent info to pass on to your Dad to make up for it.

Cacran

Thanks to all those who have given me useful advice. My husband earns less than 25 k. We bought our first home when prices were cheap. We both worked for years until we coulkd afford to have children. We have never bought anything except the house on credit. We have never calimed anything from the government except child benefit. We have saved. I do have a private pension from my first job of 15 years, not much to come but a pension neverthe less. I am only a bit short of having my full old age pension contributions fully paid do to the length of time that I worked or was in receipt of child benefit. Wee have never inherited anything and yes we have saved a substancial amount. I don't mind that you can't believe it as I know it can be done. I do not think I have dissed anyone in my posts, but maybe some of you think otherwise. Well that is a shame. I have lived in a way that suits mem, not asking for much and making something of nothing. I think Martin would be proud of me and my husband.

Bogof_Babe

That thing about savings has got me a bit worried now. Almost all our savings are in my husband's name, as he is a taxpayer and I want to remain a non-taxayer. Does this mean that if he had to go into care for any reason, they could take the bulk of our money off us to pay for it, as it is mainly in his name?

I thought financial arrangements between spouses were free from any ownership implications, and looked upon as jointly owned.

I am expecting a lump sum at the end of the month from the maturity of a 5-year savings bond that I took out with my redundancy money, and was going to put it into his name so that I don't get the interest on it and become liable for tax in my own right, but now I'm not so sure.

Oldernotwiser

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

That thing about savings has got me a bit worried now. Almost all our savings are in my husband's name, as he is a taxpayer and I want to remain a non-taxayer. Does this mean that if he had to go into care for any reason, they could take the bulk of our money off us to pay for it, as it is mainly in his name?

I thought financial arrangements between spouses were free from any ownership implications, and looked upon as jointly owned.

I am expecting a lump sum at the end of the month from the maturity of a 5-year savings bond that I took out with my redundancy money, and was going to put it into his name so that I don't get the interest on it and become liable for tax in my own right, but now I'm not so sure.

Your 2 points are a bit contradictory; if financial arrangements between spouses were looked on as joint, how would you be able to separate the money so that you could avoid paying tax?

I'm afraid that I don't know the answer to your question but, in my experience, avoiding tax often comes at a price. After all, your husband could run off with the milkman and take your savings with him! (Seriously, couldn't you just put your lump sum in an ISA and avoid paying tax that way?)

Bogof_Babe

Thanks for the reply, and I can see how my question is a bit confusing. I've got my full entitlement of cash ISAs and don't want to take any risks by having a shares one.

For a bit of background, I have some money from my late dad's estate that I have promised to keep safe in case mum needs any help with her care home fees in the future, so although it is in my name I can't really use it. Legally I could, but morally I wouldn't.

As I have a stupid phobia about tax returns (my dad dreaded them and used to get tied up in knots every year trying to complete them) it makes life easier if I have my savings accounts on a gross interest basis, and my husband has his as normal taxable ones.

What I meant by a married couple's finances being one "pot" is that I don't think there are any rules about transferring money between eachother, whereas there are restrictions as to how much you can give to someone who is not your spouse.

I think I'll take a chance re. the milkman, as we don't have one , but it is a fair point about being too trusting. I don't think he has the energy to run off with anyone now, after 33 years with me, but stranger things have happened!

pineapple

I can't recommend CareAware highly enough. They helped me with my parents. They give free advice (though they appreciate donations!). As well as providing a range of information leaflets they can give 1:1 advice. Check out their website.

Errata

Could I correct something? The value of a jointly owned house is not disregarded, the Local Authority will register a charge on the property and any funding they have contributed will have to be repaid to them when the second joint owner dies, or goes into care themselves, and the property is disposed of.