Fed up of reading threads asking how they can get out of paying care home fees.

Mum came out of hospital last yr. Needed nursing home. She was placed in one at a weekend's notice. There may have been an alternative but it took weeks to get that placement. Not everywhere takes LA funding?

Well my figures were very rough. Mum was self funding for 7-8 of those years. Money from sale of house plus a reasonable pension so she was ok for quite a while. You could add another £150 000 of pension over those years and possibly other money I'd forgotten about. All gone now though.

You can move if you are not happy or for whatever reason.
You just need to liaise with the LA to arrange.
No one is ever forced by LAs to stay in a particular place against their wishes.

In todays terms that £250000 isn’t that much for 9 years. It’s just £540 a week
Average today is £1266 a week

So that nine years would be nearly £600,000 - state pension so about £500,000.

Im not critiquing or judging the post in any way or even suggesting inaccuracies I was just surprised at the low figure. So I did a calc based on todays figures

They don't get care for free. A financial assessment means that a person's income is taken into account with the fees. Mum is left with a little per month for clothes, toiletries etc but the majority of her pensions go to the LA.

Money buys you choice. Your relatives can move if they don't like the place or you don't. CC funding means you can't.

I don't think it is and my mum has burned through more than £250 000. She's been in care 9 years.
Suppose your parent was ill and needed a carer. 16 hrs a day @ £12.21 p.h.= £195+ per day. Plus overnight. I do realise that's 1 to 1. So £1,367+ per week just for daytime care.

Care homes have economy of scale for sure but they also have to have heat, light, 24 hr staffing, activities and food. Plus all the ancillary staff.
Obviously different care homes have different fees but I don't think mum is being ripped off. She's run out of money now and is on local CC funding with a contribution from her. She's safe, warm, fed and cared for by the most patient people in the world.

The 2019 Hague Convention comes into force in the UK in July 2025 & basically reverts to pre-Brexit position i.e. a French court order can be enforced by a bailiff in the UK.

I find it really interesting how people assume that someone with assets is a person who has always worked hard and made prudent financial choices whereas a person without assets is someone who hasn't. There are lots of people who work hard all their lives (including those who work in care homes) but have no assets as they can barely make ends meet, let alone buy a property. You are in no way better or more deserving than them.

That's not it at all.

You've bought a house, you've lived in it.

When you move into a care home, someone has to pay for that as well as your care. Why not you if you can afford it?

If someone does not have any assets to pay for their care would you suggest they should be thrown on the street?

Although it appears there are exceptions and the enforceability is less clear after Brexit.
Heres a couple of answers on a legal website.

It wouldn't be hard for the French government to chase children living overseas. It's a criminal offence punishable by up to two years in jail & a €15,000 fine not to support your parents so in theory you could be extradited. More importantly there is a debt that can be pursued through the courts just like any other debt.

I was one for a number of years. As a young person a long time ago it was accepted that the job security and pension provision was very good, but the pay was modest. When I went back into a local government role, I was paid more than the equivalent private sector job, with a far better pension scheme than most. The pension scheme and pay was better than a similar role in the Civil Service. The NHS revised their scheme and it is no longer as good.

Not all public sector pay scales and pension schemes are the same. The LGA one is amongst the most generous.

Is that £1900 / month or ??

Especially as we consider their far longer life expectancy needing that social care.
The elderly last on average 2 years in a care home. It’s peanuts in comparison

But if the children do not live in France it would be hard for the French government to enforce that. And I wouldn’t give my dad a penny- makes me blood boil even thinking about it.

It doesn't matter whether the children live in France or not the chilren are still responsible. Of course if there are no children then the state pays.

Care home fees are much lower than the UK at around €2,200 (£1,900). There may be exceptions but generally the care homes are nicer too.

Adults with learning disabilities are the most 'costly" especially those with challenging behaviour. It isn't in fact Older People and I live in an area with a large demographic of Older people

Very partly indeed. Just another opportunity to have a dig at public sector workers.

A huge expense the council has is for disabled children. Paying for respite and school transport is a HUGE expense local councils.

That’s why I said ‘partly’.

And if the children don’t have any money or don’t live in France? Or you don’t have children?

Was in Sweden, currently in Belgium just for 2 years but moving back to Finland after that. Don’t know what they do in Belgium but that’s not where I will be retiring too.

In France when your money runs out after selling house etc it’s your children who are responsible for your care home fees even if they are estranged from you.

It pays for many things.
The rise is not just down to LA workers pensions
Its down to a massive increase in adult social care costs 18-64 years
Plus paying rent top ups for those on low or no salaries
Plus zero ( or % reduction ) council tax charges for some again due to low or no income.