Avoiding Care Charges

[lisdar]

If I owned my own house and have money in the bank what is the best way to avoid charges if I were to go into a home

[ummmm]

You can't.

[tamborine]

Only way is to dispose of your assets before needing care, tho asset disposal needs to be 7y before care.

[ummmm]

Which wouldn't be a wise move.

[tamborine]

My aunt sold up, divided assets between kids & shared rent in her younger sister's flat. Aunt's care was free, albeit at cost of state pension.

[whiskeryron]

If you can afford it have a look at extended cruises where you will find all your needs taken care of including medical needs. You will then receive everything you would get in a care home & still keep your house.

[EDDIE51]

Will be almost impossible once the new Conservative manifesto comes into effect. They will take the money out of your estate including your house after you and your partner have died, and no! they do not have to leave you with £100,000 , they will be able take everything you had and leave nothing to pass on!
Even now it is very difficult, I have said several times on here that my brother is the senior housing finance officer for a large London local authority.
He has told me they can and do regularly go back a lot more than the 7 years quoted by tamborine. He says they have successfully gone back over 15 years to prove 'deprivation of assets'.
The best answer is 'spend the lot' before you go ! Even the Tories can't take what no longer exists!

[whiskeryron]

Best advice Eddie

[EDDIE51]

^ I was a bit out on the last answer . To be absolutely clear the MAXIMUM you will be able to pass on is £100,000. As few houses are worth less than that your house will be sold after the death of you and your partner and all but the last £100,000 will go to paying care fees.
Also they have now said that fees for care in your own home will now be included and NOT just fees for residential care ! Few seem to realise this at the moment. Someone could easily rack up a few tens of thousands of £ in fees for care in their own home which will be taken out of their estate after death of them and their partner!
All in all far more people will end up paying the full cost of their care but it will not be due until after they die !

[whiskeryron]

how is it going to be possible to avoid Theresa May winning her dream of complete control for the next five years without a successful opposition ?

[jambutty]

^ Just grit your teeth and vote Labour anyway !!!

[hellywelly4]

Surely the Labour party took the house if you went into care? The Torys are letting us keep £100,000 now. We could hardly keep anything before..

[EDDIE51]

^ That's what worries me. I can see the Tories getting such a large majority that they will be able to get anything through. They could make state pension means tested so that those who have a private pension no longer get it . I have already pointed out that state pension is officially classed as a 'benefit' rather than a 'right' now!
You can remove a benefit but you can't remove a right!

[hellywelly4]

I am quite happy to lose my £200 heating allowance. I don't need it at all - yes I know I'm fortunate, but I think I am one of those it's aimed at. Also - why do people who live in Spain get it? Ridiculous.

[EDDIE51]

Previously you could avoid the house being classed as an asset if a spouse/partner or another relative also lived in it as their only home. Now they will take the house after you die and your partner die and only leave a maximum of £100,000 to pass on in your will. Anyone living in the house will be thrown out unless they can come up with the cash to pay the owners care fees!

[Islay]

But if you have a house why should the government pay for your care home fees?

[EDDIE51]

hellywelly, How many houses are worth less than £100,000 !
Nothing near me, £100,000 would not even buy a car parking space!
That is the difference, you used to be able to keep the house by having a partner living in it plus £21,000 of savings or what ever. Now they are going to take all houses worth more than £100,000 once the owner and partner die and leave only the £100,000 but no house!

[EDDIE51]

Islay, that is exactly the argument the government has used to justify the new care fees policy!

[EDDIE51]

^ Plus as I said it also includes fees for care in your own home , and NOT just in a care home! The idea is that almost every homeowner will pay their entire care fees!

[trt]

You dont say how old you are, or why you choose to go in a home.

Why dont you employ a full, or part carer, or part payment care to the Social services.

[bednobs]

why should pay for your care fees so that your relatives can inherit money - really that's just me (and all the other council tax payers) paying for your relatives' inheritance. If you go into a care home, you don't need a house too - you cant live in 2 places at once!