Help Mother in Care Home

The_Dikler

Could anyone advise me on following. My mother has Dementia and has been taken into a care home. My Mother and myself have a joint morgage on the home we lived at. There is still 10 years payments due. Whilst the local authority have confirmed that whislt I still live at the property they cannot sell the property I would like to know my rights being a joint owner. My mother has savings of £14000, she receives a state pension and also a small pension. Therefore can I claim 50% morgage payments despite she is in a care home, can I claim 50% of any house repairs? Or there any other utility bills that I can claim on? It maybe sounds harsh but I look at it as if anything happened to me then the home would be sold for care home fees and no other benefit to my other family members etc.

Mozette

Just bumping this up in the hope someone will know more than I. Dreadful situation, hope you get it sorted. It doesn't sound harsh, you need to be practical. All the best.

prestonlass

Again, can't really help myself, i'm afraid - but when we were in the process of putting my nanna in a home and selling hers, the Age Concern people were very knowledgable and helpful with benefits & legal info etc - definately worth a call.

The_Dikler

What I am trying to get across I guess are the following points.

1. My mother has savings and a small works pension coming in. The morgage was paid for 50-50 before she went in home. I have done all the legal stuff to manage her Bank Accounts etc. As she owns 50% of the House and there is still a joint morgage with another 10 years payments due, can I still take 50% of all house costs(ie morgage/water bills/ utility bills/repairs upkeep on property) from the income she has etc. I have children of my own and should anything happen to me then the house would pass to my mother and be sold so Social can take care fees from this.

silvercar

I thought the OP was asking if he could use his mothers savings and pension income to pay the mortgage and utility bills.

Do you have power of attorney for your mother? If so then you could make payments from her money on her behalf. I would have thought that you could make mortgage payments on her behalf as that is a commitment she has and not paying could jeopardise her financial position.

Whether you could make utility payments I'm not sure, as she doesn't need the benefit of the gas and electric in the home.

You could also apply to the council for a reduction in council tax as she is now resident elsewhere.

The_Dikler

Thanks SilverCar

I have the POA etc.

Whilst I have not gone into it I would have s=assumed the 50% morgage could be taken from her pension income she recieves. I have reduced Council Tax as you stated. The only utility bill which I assumed could have been claimed against would be Water as this is a standard charge rate. Maintainance/Improvement of house also. But I may be wrong...

EdInvestor

The_Dikler wrote: »

It maybe sounds harsh but I look at it as if anything happened to me then the home would be sold for care home fees and no other benefit to my other family members etc.

Looks like it's a joint tenancy, not TIC.Has the council put a charge against the property?

webtalk

I would think what happens to the house depends on who owns it.

Contact www.nhfa.co.uk - they're a financial advice organisation specialising in finances for the elderly. They have a FREE helpline and they don't tend to push people into buying their financial services. They're (or other organisations with their speciality) probably the best source of information as this sort of stuff is bread and butter for them.

pinkshoes

margaretclare wrote: »

Thanks for the clarification.

I am not sure about the ethics of your Mother being required to pay half of a mortgage on a house she is never going to be able to live in again.

If your water is metered then you pay for what you use, same as electricity/gas. With an elderly person no longer living there, there must be a lot less washing? And also, she isn't using any of the utilities, is she - no gas/electricity, she's just not using any of them while she's not living there?

Is the house owned jointly or as tenants-in-common? If it's joint ownership then each owner (survivor) owns 100% but if TIC then each owns 50% and can will their half to whoever they like.

You're concerned about 'if something happens to me' - I assume you mean if you die suddenly. If the house is owned jointly then it passes 100% to your mother, and she has the use of it, or the value, for the rest of her life. Therefore, you'd have no need to worry about her. Her care fees would be met from the sale of the house. Isn't that what anyone would wish for their mother - that she had resources to have the best care possible?

On second thoughts, and re-reading your posts, I don't think that's what you want - is it? You want to make her go on paying for her half of it - which she'll never have the use of again - but for you to have all the use of it. You mention your children, but really, your poor mother's needs and comfort are what should be considered here.

Repeat, phone AgeConcern or Help the Aged.

Margaret

That was a bit harsh! If the mother made a financial commitment for X years and still needs to pay half the mortgage, then that's what needs to be done, as otherwise the OP might not be able to pay the mortgage on their own, and will end up loosing the house that they BOTH invested in. It makes perfect sense, and as POA it's probably in the mother's best interest that the mortgage is paid, as I'm sure she wouldn't want to see the OP homeless!!

Is there life insurance i.e. if mother dies, mortgage will be paid off?

I'm quite sure you can't claim bills, as the mother isn't living there!!!

Generali

I suspect that you can the mortgage paid on your mother's share of the house - try one of the charities listed or the Alzheimers Association (who are excellent).

My father died of Alzheimers this year and you have my sympathy. It's a horrible disease. My mother was advised to use his capital to do up the house as it was seen as a legitimate way to spend his money - making sure that his wife was in a decent house. The same rules may not apply to you as you have a different relationship so I'd seek proper advice IIWY.

EdInvestor

The Dikler really needs to go and get himself some competent financial advice, having failed to set up the family's affair properly in the first place.Blundering around in the way he proposes is likely to mean that he loses out even more in the end.I'm afraid it isn't possible to square the circle in the way he would like.There's no such thing as a free lunch, as has already been pointed out.