Moving back home from abroad

Shabbycat · 7 May 2018 at 9:12AM

My father who is 86 is a UK citizen living with his wife in Florida. She is a US citizen but may have dual nationality as she was born in the UK (age 90). We want to bring them back to England as with age they have grown very isolated. They both have health problems and would need to go into residential care. They have some savings, a house to sell and pensions.Having looked at the cost of suitable care homes (£10k per month), with family chipping in we anticipate they have enough money to last two to three years. Can anybody tell me when they would be entitled to local authority assistance with the care home fees due to them having lived in the US for thirty years. I appreciate their saving would have to fall below the £23,500 threshold. Thank you.

kingfisherblue · 7 May 2018 at 9:39AM

Shabbycat wrote: »

My father who is 86 is a UK citizen living with his wife in Florida. She is a US citizen but may have dual nationality as she was born in the UK (age 90). We want to bring them back to England as with age they have grown very isolated. They both have health problems and would need to go into residential care. They have some savings, a house to sell and pensions.Having looked at the cost of suitable care homes (£10k per month), with family chipping in we anticipate they have enough money to last two to three years. Can anybody tell me when they would be entitled to local authority assistance with the care home fees due to them having lived in the US for thirty years. I appreciate their saving would have to fall below the £23,500 threshold. Thank you.

Age UK have some factsheets on older people returningt o the UK after living abroad. They may also be able to signpost you to specialist advisors if necessary.

Shabbycat · 7 May 2018 at 10:20AM

I've looked at the Age UK site and forwarded some of the factsheets to my Dad as they do contain a lot of useful information. I know that he will have to pass he habitual residence test which I am hopeful about as all his children and grand children live in the UK, he will be making it his permanent residence and would have started self funding. In the datasheets it states meeting the terms of HRT can take up to three months, does this mean that after three months if he ran out of money, local authority assistance would kick in?? Like I say they have funds to last longer than that but the answer to this will help determine which care home they go in to.

thorsoak · 7 May 2018 at 11:13AM

I don't think that either would be entitled to state help as they have not contributed to NI - and neither will he pass the habitual residence test as they have lived in the USA for so long.

Flugelhorn · 7 May 2018 at 11:33AM

I am not sure that paying NI ever comes in to the equation?

Shabbycat · 7 May 2018 at 11:34AM

My Dad paid full National Insurance while he was working in the UK til he was 55 and then continued to pay until he was 65 so is fully paid up. Not sure about his wife, I know she worked for several years in the UK but don't know for how long.

ognum · 7 May 2018 at 11:50AM

Shabbycat wrote: »

I've looked at the Age UK site and forwarded some of the factsheets to my Dad as they do contain a lot of useful information. I know that he will have to pass he habitual residence test which I am hopeful about as all his children and grand children live in the UK, he will be making it his permanent residence and would have started self funding. In the datasheets it states meeting the terms of HRT can take up to three months, does this mean that after three months if he ran out of money, local authority assistance would kick in?? Like I say they have funds to last longer than that but the answer to this will help determine which care home they go in to.

I think there are multiple factors to consider. You father and step mother may gain habitual or ordinary residency but you won’t know until they are here as it can’t be claimed from abroad so they will have to take pot luck and hope. I think there is more of a problem for the wife than your father.

If the local authority take over provision of care if their assets run out they will be provided care in the institution of the LAs choice no Your or theirs. There is a cap on the spending level and whitest undoubtedly some of the homes are good some are less good.

Have they considered moving to a retirement community in the US, The you are many and varied but the privately funded retirement provision in the US is more varied than here.

I guess one of the problems is the reduction of state care here that is ongoing. Many people who should or could be in suppported care are actually cared for in their homes so the criteria for care is quite difficult to meet.

I will not go into the ethical question as to whether someone who has chosen to not contribute into the system for for thirty years since the age of 56 and another who has never contributed should be provided with care by the U.K. government but there will be many opinions on that.

Shabbycat · 7 May 2018 at 12:21PM

Thank you for your reply. I agree, I think they need to come over and see what happens. I fully appreciate that there will be differing views about this and can understand why. My Dad has been in ill health since his forties and was one of the factors in moving abroad in the first place. His wife's family are in a position to fund her care when they run out of money so is less of an issue. Unfortunately my contribution won't be sufficient to fully meet the gap between his pension and the cost. Unfortunately due to his ill health, L.A. funding may not even come into play.
US has not been ruled out yet, we are still exploring options but feel having family near them in the last couple of years would be good for them.

ognum · 7 May 2018 at 12:33PM

Shabbycat wrote: »

Thank you for your reply. I agree, I think they need to come over and see what happens. I fully appreciate that there will be differing views about this and can understand why. My Dad has been in ill health since his forties and was one of the factors in moving abroad in the first place. His wife's family are in a position to fund her care when they run out of money so is less of an issue. Unfortunately my contribution won't be sufficient to fully meet the gap between his pension and the cost. Unfortunately due to his ill health, L.A. funding may not even come into play.
US has not been ruled out yet, we are still exploring options but feel having family near them in the last couple of years would be good for them.

I appreciate your dilemma, many people when making life decisions in their fifties do not appreciate the factors that may occur when they are in their 80s.

How will her family cope if she moves across the Atlantic. It seems it is either the wife who will have long distance family or your father.

Good luck in finding a positive outcome.

Shabbycat · 7 May 2018 at 12:54PM

Her family are in England too, hence the isolation.

thorsoak · 7 May 2018 at 3:06PM

This might be of assistance to you :- https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs25_returning_from_abroad_fcs.pdf

Moving back home from abroad

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