Carehome LA financial assessment

donerkebabs

My mother after a head injury was moved to a care home after several months in hospital.

The Carehome LA Financial Assessment is coming up as she cannot speak clearly etc - I have been nominated to complete this call for her.

1) Do I need to provide all bank statements /accounts etc?

2) Incoming /outgoings again do I need to provide paperwork for this? She didn't like to keep receipts. If it word of mouth how much is reasonable? £100 per food /£100 month energy etc

3) Saving are less than the 23k threshold - how do they determine how much she will need to pay/topup.

Thanks in advance

p00hsticks

Is she still in the care home or now out and being assessed for the time she was there ? 
If still there is this likely to be temporary or permanent ?  
Is she in receipt of any benefits ? Is she above state pension age ?

Brie

As I recall they will want copies of all bank statements - maybe for 3 months at least?  With those they will be able to work out most of the details so if there's £50 taken out every Wednesday you can tell them that's for the weekly shop and to buy a coffee at the local cafe.  

What they will be looking for frankly is if there are any huge amounts going out and they'll want to know why.   My MiL who lived with us paid us £600 a month to cover all of her living expenses, her share of the council tax, utilities, food and that was very regular (done by standing order) and they were fine with that.  There were some large payments and we explained that they were to cover a holiday, again fine, no real paperwork required.  

Given that your mom has been in hospital quite some time they might want to go back a year to get a couple of months worth of statements prior to her injury.  

They will tell you how much savings she is allowed to have without having to pay anything and how the amounts might change occasionally if she has state pension etc being paid in which take her above certain levels.  

Our local council were very nice and civilised about it all.  I suppose it was obvious that we weren't trying to hide anything, we hadn't been skimming her funds.

I do remember after the call that I was asked to bring in copies of X, Y, Z to the council office.  I could have posted everything but that would have been expensive as it was a bulky bit of paper.  So I took them in and asked that they photocopy everything and give me back the originals.  Which they did without even blinking. 

And don't forget she's allowed to have living expenses for in the care home.  For any extras like hair cuts or outings.

And if there's any issues raised about lack of funding that's the council to sort out, not you.  Obviously you'll want the best of your mom but it's her money and her council that are obliged to pay for her care.  You just need to show up with flowers and chocolates when appropriate.  

donerkebabs

p00hsticks said:

Is she still in the care home or now out and being assessed for the time she was there ? 
If still there is this likely to be temporary or permanent ?  
Is she in receipt of any benefits ? Is she above state pension age ?

Thanks - she is still there as permanent.

Just state pension

RAS

Surely someone has claimed attendance allowance for her?

donerkebabs

RAS said:

Surely someone has claimed attendance allowance for her?

I found mixed contradictory info about attendance allowance:

 You have needed help with your personal care (for example, washing and dressing), or supervision to keep you safe, for at least six months before claiming.

if in care home you can only claim for 1st 28 days

she had her fall in March so can’t claim until September but will have been in care home for 2 months by then?

Brie

MiL was eligible for AA throughout her care home stay so best to get that application ready.  Don't forget - don't sugar coat it as the answers need to prove mom can't do things herself.  She can't talk on the phone and communication is a biggy.  Obviously she's in a care home as she can't live by herself or where there isn't 24 hour supervision.  That's another big tick.

Get the form and get citizen's advice or some other suitable agency (maybe the care home?) to help with the application.  My guess is she needs to get the higher level of allowance.  Be sure to get a doctor's sign off on that (again the care home might be able to help)

elsien

RAS said:

Surely someone has claimed attendance allowance for her?

Only applies if she is self funding. She would not be eligible if she’s going to be local authority funded.

You say your mum can’t communicate well, but what about her capacity? Is there a power of attorney in place? If she’s not returning, what’s going be happening with her property - Is she an owner or a tenant? 

 With regards to the financial assessment, you can’t be claiming costs for food, et cetera when she’s in the care home and that’s all included.

p00hsticks

donerkebabs said:

p00hsticks said:

Is she still in the care home or now out and being assessed for the time she was there ? 
If still there is this likely to be temporary or permanent ?  
Is she in receipt of any benefits ? Is she above state pension age ?

Thanks - she is still there as permanent.

Just state pension

In my experience then (from a few years back with my M-I-L)  going forward the LA will take all of her state pension towards the care home costs, apart from £25 that they leave her so she can buy things not provided as standard by the home (toiletries, haircuts, manicures, pedicures etc). 

They won't make any allowance for heating, food etc going forward as obviously this is provided by the home.
I'm not sure how far back prior to her admission to hospital they will want to look in order to determine that there have been no untoward outgoings to take her below the savings limit and/or to work out if she needs to also be contributing from her savings.
Where was she living before she went into hospital ? If it was her own home and that is now empty (or lived in by someone under the age of 60) then it will be considered as an asset of hers and incldued in the assessment I think.

elsien

There is a tariff between 141/2 k and the 23K from her savings, of £1 per week for every full or part £250 above the lower limit towards the cost of their care.

But if her pension is her only income, then that would all go towards fees aside from the £25 a week personal allowance. 

And I’m fairly sure attendance allowance will not be payable because she won’t be self funding.