What to do with mums finances as LPA as she goes into Nursing Care?

ab56

dnpark38 said:

My wife is in a care home and the DWLP stopped her Attendance Allowance when I informed them she was in care home so my attention was grabbed by the recommendation for OP to apply.

May depend whether care home resident is self-funding or council funded - think when latter Attendance Allowance is not claimable or was 10 years ago.  

SacredStephan

elsien said:

ETA - I visit a lot of care homes as part of my job and there isn’t a hope in hell of any of them supporting with filling in benefits forms.

But it may well be worth posting on the benefits forum here about appealing the attendance allowance decision, because it’s hard to see how anyone who needs nursing care wouldn’t qualify. 

My personal experience is that the care home assisted me with the details of the AA form for my family member and that AA was payable as a result.

elsien

ab56 said:

dnpark38 said:

My wife is in a care home and the DWLP stopped her Attendance Allowance when I informed them she was in care home so my attention was grabbed by the recommendation for OP to apply.

May depend whether care home resident is self-funding or council funded - think when latter Attendance Allowance is not claimable or was 10 years ago.  

That is correct. Attendance allowance stops as soon as there is any element of local authority funding. 

dnpark38

@ab56
Council funded.

xylophone

OP, given that your mother's personal and nursing/supervision needs are so high, it would seem very unlikely that she would not be eligible for the Scottish  LA support as below

Rates

The personal and nursing care payment rates from 7 April 2025 are:

• £254.60 a week for personal care
• £114.55 a week for nursing care

How the payments are made

An assessment of your care needs will be carried out, and if you are eligible to receive free personal and/or nursing care, a contract will be put in place between the local council and the care provider. Once the contract is in place your council will make payments directly to the care provider.

The council doesn’t have to backdate the payments to the date you moved into the care home.

If you receive the personal care contribution towards your care home fees, you’ll no longer be eligible for Attendance Allowance after 28 days.

If above is the case, how much per week will mother be expected to pay for her accommodation costs?

How much per week is her state pension? And her occupational pension?  Presumably she is a basic rate tax payer?

She has an ISA - how much is this? Is she getting the best possible interest rate?

How much is in her current account?What is the average income from the Aviva shares?

Is she taking an income from the Aviva bonds?

With regard to the house, it seems to me that it is not worth your attempting refurbishment. A clean and tidy presentation should be sufficient to offer it for sale?

Heedtheadvice

I too share empathy with your mother's and your situation.

Not sure how far along the road to acting your duties as Attorney you are but the following might be useful.

I think you will be going along on the right lines. For a start you know your mother and her wishes well. It is essential to take into account what those wishes would be if she had the capacity as well as the document Power.

Secondly you are obliged to follow the Attorney document and do everything for your mother's sole benefit. The Public  Guardian has some good info at https://www.publicguardian-scotland.gov.uk/docs/librariesprovider3/poa/pdf-documents/factsheet-attorneys.pdf?sfvrsn=f1ca33d2_8

You may find you do not need to open a special account for managing the assets provided the banks accept your appointment. This varies from bank to bank and account so ask them.

In Scotland you can get the council tax reduction ( for the same six months from the property being empty). You may also be able to get an extension if you can show that a sale of the heritable property is planned and being worked towards including e.g. advertising for sale. It is well worth reading the councils web site for info or contacting them to ask what needs done to claim it. I have found my own council D&G very helpfull on both matters.

I don't think I can add much on the financial front.

Ms_Chocaholic

Hi

Not sure if this has been said as I've not read through the entire thread but the first thing I would do is change the locks, might your brother still have a key?

LHW99

If you need aditional help with financial matters, you may find that SOLLA could put you in touch with someone in your local area

https://societyoflaterlifeadvisers.co.uk/

The financial services register can then help you check that the firm is legitimate, and what the advisers specialise in / are authorised to do.

https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/financial-services-register

Albermarle

SacredStephan said:

I suggest you ask the care home to help with the Attendance Allowance form - they will be used to doing this.
You say that Mum "lives far away". The insurance company that is covering her unoccupied house are likely to require regular visits by someone to inspect the property. It's a good idea to keep a record of these visits. They may also require working smoke alarm(s). In England there is a Council Tax exemption for a property that is empty because the owner has gone to live in a care home. I'm not sure if this applies in Scotland as well. Don't spend any money to upgrade or modernise an empty house that you want to sell.

Also the insurance company will most likely insist that the house is maintained at a minimum temperature. Often 12 degrees.
So in the Winter the heating will have to be left on, even if the thermostat is turned down from normal.

jem16

As xylophone has stated once the Scottish Government Personal/Nursing care is in place, Attendance Allowance would stop after 28 days.

So yes an application for Attendance Allowance would be granted once Mum is in the care home and could at least be got up till the time the Scottish Government funding is in place.