advice needed re residential home/property

kittymott

My uncle a widower aged 84 has gone into a residential home. He has given me, through his solicitor, power of atorney to operate his bank accounts and handle his afairs. He has enough money in one of his accounts to pay his fees for 2-3 years and still leave the £20.000 which the state will allow him to keep, but wants me to have his apartment. Is there any way by which he can deed or sell his apartment to me?
Barb

Debt_Free_Chick

I assume that the Local Authority has already assessed his ability to pay the fees? They should have had full details of all his income and capital. At the time of assessment, where capital exceeds £20,000, then the person needing care is deemed able to pay for their own fees.

Capital includes property in your uncle's case (in some cases e.g. where a spouse is still living in the property, the value of the main or only home is excluded from the assessment).

So, the Local Authority should know that your uncle has a property and they will expect him to use this to fund his care fees. They may well have placed a legal charge over his property already. If he now gives this poroperty to you, he will still be expected to fund his own care fees, as if he had the property. He will get no Local Authority help in the future.

And it would not have worked if he had transferred the property before he was assessed either.

You may find this from Help the Aged useful.

Pal

I have no idea whether this topic comes under "Housing", "Benefits" or "Silversavers" but given that it definitely isn't pensions I have moved it to Silversavers.

Pal -Pensions BoardGuide