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Elderly parents
Original poster

Allowance of £23.50

39 replies

Whatmonth · 14/04/2023 09:30

DM is in a nursing home with dementia.
She is self funding.
Her 3 daughters (including me) have POA.
We have been told that she is allowed £23.50 per week for herself.
Is it ok to allocate that money into an account so she has money
for new clothes, hair cut and toiletries. Also she still wants to give
money for birthday presents for her Great Grandchildren.
And money for Christmas gifts for others.
It was only ever £20 per child. Did that since they were born.
They are now teenagers.

OP posts:
Skybluepinky · 14/04/2023 10:12

After her needs are met I can’t imagine there being any left for buying presents for others.

hatgirl · 14/04/2023 10:04

Or if she is a self funder has become so after having a local authority financial assessment and been told they will be a full cost payer anyway...

I'm sure OP can clarify

hatgirl · 14/04/2023 09:57

I suspect she is a full cost payer not a self funder.

sounds like the same thing but it isn't.

a full cost payer pays the full cost of the residential placement as arranged by the local authority at the local authority agreed rates. They have had a local authority financial assessment and have been found to have sufficient income be a full cost payer. From their income they can officially 'keep' £23.50 per week out of the financial assessment. It may be that their income is high enough that actually it is more than cost of placement at LA rate + £23.50 but officially the LA has ensured they still have enough to cover the cost of toiletries etc.

a self funder contracts directly with the care home and pays the weekly rate they agree with the care home. They don't have a local authority financial assessment and it's up to them/their family to decide what to do with whatever is left after paying care home fees.

EmmaEmerald · 14/04/2023 09:55

hatgirl · 14/04/2023 09:35

That is exactly how the allowance is intended to be used and why it exists.

@EmmaEmerald it's the amount someone is allowed to keep of their income per week if they are in a care home and the local authority is funding/part f7nding some of it. It's been calculated as enough to fund all the items identified in the OP.

But OP said her mum is self funding.

Knotaknitter · 14/04/2023 09:48

If she's self funding then the disregard doesn't apply. I was PoA and spent mum's money on haircuts, clothes, chiropody and the traditional presents for her grandson. Her pensions went into her bank account as they'd always done and I paid the bill for the care home from that each month.

toiletinacupboard · 14/04/2023 09:48

@hatgirl thank you so much for explaining!

YouveGotToGrooveIt · 14/04/2023 09:46

As others have said, as she is self funding then no one can tell her how much of her own money she can have or spend.

Tell them to do one (politely, of course Smile)

AnnaMagnani · 14/04/2023 09:40

If she is self funding then she can do what she likes with her money, there is no 'allowance '.

If it was normal for her to give gifts then her LPOA can carry on as long as the amounts are not impacting on her needs.

MereDintofPandiculation · 14/04/2023 09:39

That’s the disregard for financial assessment. Just as they leave a certain amount if savings out of the assessment, they also leave out £23.50 of income.

If she’s a self funder she can have as much or as little as she wants.

I pay for presents, haircuts, chiropody, clothes out of my father’s general savings account.

hatgirl · 14/04/2023 09:37

toiletinacupboard · 14/04/2023 09:35

you work hard all your life, career, houses, family and this is how it ends? £23 a week?

FML

Only if you are asking the local authority to fund/part fund your care.

if you can afford to pay for it yourself without involving the local authority then your money is yours to do with as you wish.

hatgirl · 14/04/2023 09:35

That is exactly how the allowance is intended to be used and why it exists.

@EmmaEmerald it's the amount someone is allowed to keep of their income per week if they are in a care home and the local authority is funding/part f7nding some of it. It's been calculated as enough to fund all the items identified in the OP.

toiletinacupboard · 14/04/2023 09:35

you work hard all your life, career, houses, family and this is how it ends? £23 a week?

FML

Tabitha888 · 14/04/2023 09:32

Is that it! £23.50 that's nothing 😩

EmmaEmerald · 14/04/2023 09:31

who gave this "allowance"? Bit confused.