Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Family finances - am I BU or is DH?

216 replies

Hooli · 30/06/2018 07:29

Without outing myself too much, my stepdad has recently passed away. My mum was a full time carer for him and has been for over 10 years (dementia and Alzheimer's). She's now past the age of really being able to get another job (67).

She's lived in a council house all her life but will now need to move as she can't afford the bedroom tax. She was exempt from this before as it was deemed she needed an extra room for his equipment and his PA when he (occasionally) stayed over.

There are no one bed flats available for her to move in to.

My older sister and I had agreed between us, years ago, that when this happened, we would rent her a flat privately and pay for this ourselves at a cost of around £200 each a month (Mum lives in a very cheap part of the UK)

DH has always known this was our intention. His family are very well off so he'd never have to financially support them in old age, but my Mum sacrificed a huge amount and had to survive on minimum wage jobs so me and my sister see it as our absolute duty and responsibility to repay that sacrifice now and we're more than happy to.

Family finances go like this - me and DH both put all our salaries in the joint account but keep £200 a month back each for personal spends. We also put £1k a month into the savings. I've proposed to drop my personal spends to £100 and take £100 from the savings, putting £900 a month in instead.

DH is now disagreeing and thinks I should fund the private rent from my own spends and therefore have no money for myself. For the record, this goes on coffees, magazines, haircuts, meals with friends and toward gifts for him and the kids.

Who is being U here?

OP posts:
Hooli · 30/06/2018 20:56

And I hardly think working shifts in a kitchen is an easy life....

OP posts:
AnotherCentristDad · 30/06/2018 21:06

If you're reasonably well off - and it sounds like you are - then £200 a month is neither here nor there. If it was my MIL, I'd agree that the full amount comes out of joint funds, with both parties retaining full individual spending money. I think your DH is being unreasonable.

(Although, I'd agree that it might be preferable to pay the spare room surcharge. It depends, of course, on what your mother prefers).

MyKingdomForBrie · 30/06/2018 21:13

As others have pointed out you're asking him to give up potentially in the region of 36k in savings and tying him into a financial responsibility for a lifetime and it doesn't feel from your OP like you've really consulted him about it, more that you've expected him to be this generous which always makes people feel less like being generous.

Hooli · 30/06/2018 21:43

He won't answer my question as to why he's so bothered, I challenged him on the loss of savings and he skirted around it. I raised the point of if he was bothered about that, then why are we allowed to 'waste' £400 a month on shit when that could go toward our savings. He didn't have an answer.

OP posts:
Amanduh · 30/06/2018 21:57

He’s a twat.

MyNameIsAlexDrake · 01/07/2018 02:11

Definitely don't let your mum give up her tenancy.
There are housing authority / council swaps websites like this one www.ukhomeswap.co.uk/
I'm sure your mum could have a pick of decent 1 beds as most folk are looking for extra space. The adaptations could also be a life saver to some. My mum and dad had to wait over 2 yrs for an adapted house to become available after my became a wheelchair user. She was housebound in the downstairs living room all that time while waiting, was awful.

You and your sister sound lovely. I'm sure once your mum gets a new home home you'll make her comfortable. Even if you both topped up her pension a little each she could have the happy retirement she deserves after a long working life.

Loopytiles · 01/07/2018 06:01

Discussing the issue in front of him wasn’t discussing it WITH him. Why didn’t you discuss it with him directly?

It’d be difficult for him to express concerns or dissent when your sister was there, although he could have raised this with you privately.

£400 a month (together) for living isn’t necessarily spending money on “shit”.

You have a mortgage and good income now. Do you both have decent pensions?

£24k (presumably your “half”) is £200 a month for 10 years? your mum could well live for another 25 years or more and require care costing a lot more a month than that.

Velvete · 01/07/2018 06:13

£200 a month for potentially 30 years is £72,000. That's a fortune when he isn't giving his parents anything. Also when your mum doesn't have to move as she can afford to stay as there's no bedroom tax Confused

If you want to financially spoil your mum why don't you and your sister take her on a nice holiday?

It all sounds like a ridiculous waste of money to me when she has secure housing that she can afford. If she wants a fresh start just go on a swap list with the council.

Velvete · 01/07/2018 06:18

OP I'd also really warn against giving up a secure council tenancy to rent privately. You do realise that during the course of the rest of your mum's life she may be asked to leave homes she doesn't want to fairly regularly? Are you and you sister (and your DH) going to pay moving fees, new decoration costs etc every time this happens?

She won't find a private tenancy that she can stay in for 10 years plus! She'd be lucky to find one for two years.

Imsodonewithshit · 01/07/2018 06:24
  1. She will get housing benefit.
  2. Pay the bedroom tax until a 1 bed comes up. After a life time of a secure tenancy. She will find the shock of insecure private rental very stressful.
  3. Your DH is being a little unreasonable. But i also agree its a bad idea to go this route.
Imsodonewithshit · 01/07/2018 06:27

Or... if she lives in a cheap area. Buy somewhere and let her live there.

You would still be effectively saving a significant amount. She could claim HB for the rent. So its a win win and much more finacially savvy

AutoFilled · 01/07/2018 06:33

Well I think it’s a stupid decision. Following some of the posts here, I found shelters website and it says only working age people have to pay bedroom tax. Also she can move to sheltered accommodation. If it were my MIL I will refuse to pay that £200 and told my DH he is stupid. Bedroom tax is not £400 even if you have to pay. Also I will put my MIL name down for a sheltered accodomation place. They are available from 55.

Having money doesn’t mean you need to be stupid about it.

BrexitWife · 01/07/2018 06:37

He is a twat.
I also think he has never had to think about supporting his parents financially so he feels no responsibility towards them for that matter and therefore even less towards your parents.
His proposal of taking all the money out of your own ‘pocket money’ is a way to push you to say ‘no sorry I can’t do it’.
I think that even splitting it between £100 less in savings and £100 less for you is shit tbh. But coming to that, I also think I would make a point of giving him cheap crap stuff for this b’day saying that, unfortunately, I cant afford more.

BrexitWife · 01/07/2018 06:44

Btw, whilst i can see why other solution could be better on a financial POV, I still think the OP’s DH is a twat.
Because he didn’t say ‘no I dint think it’s a good idea financially. It would be better to do ’
He very passive aggressively pushed the Op is a an untenable position so she has to say NO to her mum.
And that attitude is selfish.
He doesn’t have ANY reason to give as to why it’s an issue.
He doesn’t ANY reason to give as to how they couldn’t save £200 on other things (and I’ll gather that the oP and her DH could do that)

Autofilled before sayingbthat the MIL shouod just go to a sheltered accommodation, maybe it wouod be an idea to ASK the mum??
The fact that the OP and her dsis are proposing to pay for the rent/tax/whatever, doesn’t mean they can also impose on her where she is going to live and how. A sheltered accommodation is not the same than a normal flat

BrexitWife · 01/07/2018 06:50

OP If your DH wants to buy something out of the common pot that is more ‘expensive’ does he ask you?
So let say, he wants sky at £70 a month even though you don’t really watch Sky, wouod he ask you if it’s ok? Or he wouod just assume it’s ok to pay nearly a £100 per month for something you dont need?
If he buys a car and he wants a ‘posh’ one that costs more in petrol/tax/insurance, wouod he assume it’s ok for him to do that or would he accept you saying NO because you dint see the point of the posher/more expensive model?

Because I wouldn’t be surprised that he is digging his heels in for that but is actually expecting you to have the flexibility to choose to pay for stuff you don’t necesserally want/agree with.

That in effect, he has an issue with the IDEA of supporting your mum rather than with the cost.

Melliegrantfirstlady · 01/07/2018 06:57

I haven’t read the full thread but imo you’d be much better of buying a flat. Unlikely that the mortgage would be £400 per month and you see a return this way.

It’s risky renting at your mums age as the landlord could sell anytime

Clairetree1 · 01/07/2018 07:06

The point is, the OP is proposing to move her Mum out of secure, fixed rate accommodation, into a situation where the costs are potentially unlimited, and is expecting her DH to agree to this coming out of HIS finances.

Anyone would have to be an idiot to agree to that.

if she lives in a cheap area. Buy somewhere and let her live there.

You would still be effectively saving a significant amount. She could claim HB for the rentSo its a win win and much more finacially savvy

no, that would be totally stupid. She is already living in a home which is adapted to her becoming infirm. If you move her into a property you own, and she then becomes more elderly and infirm, you are liable for the first £30 000 towards adaptions. ( it might be more now)

And no, she would not be entitled to a penny of housing benefit, living in a home owned by family.

The whole idea of moving your mother anywhere is just a silly dream, unless you are a multimillionaire, you are going to totally wreck your family finances for no reason at all.

You could all end up homeless, her and you

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 01/07/2018 07:12

Previous poster had a good idea, could you afford to buy a flat for her to live in so it's an investment as well as help for her?

Clairetree1 · 01/07/2018 07:18

Previous poster had a good idea, could you afford to buy a flat for her to live in so it's an investment as well as help for her

as I just pointed out, if you own it, you will be liable for tens of thousands of pounds worth of adaptions as she becomes more elderly and frail, where as as a council tenant she would be entitled to these things for free.

My step father has just paid £14 000 for a safe bathroom for his elderly father, who is living in a home owned by my step father.

He had no warning that this expense was coming, he had to do it immediately, he was entitled to no grants or aids, he has been told to keep the reciepts because one his spending on adapting the home reaches over £30 000 he will be entitled to some help with the next expenses.

None of these costs add anything to the value of the property, quite the opposite, it lowers the value of the property, as the next owners very probably will not need them, and will have them removed,

My step grandfather pays no rent, and is entitled to no housing benefits as he is living in a property owned by his family

AStatelyPleasureDome · 01/07/2018 07:26

OP, it's up to you what you do with YOUR money. You sound like a lovely daughter, as does your sister.

I can't imagine my DH taking a mean spirited position like yours has and, if he did, it would definitely affect my view of him and our relationship. He should be grateful to your mum for raising two such wonderful people and giving them the opportunities and the confidence to succeed in life.

Loopytiles · 01/07/2018 07:51

It’s not just OP’s money, it’s family money - potentially £50k or more!

BasicUsername · 01/07/2018 08:18

Lots of people are calling your husband a dick / selfish / mean / nasty.

Actually, he has a very fair point. If your mother lives for another 20 years, that £200 a month stacks up to a total of £48,000.

I don't think he is being unreasonable at all.

speakout · 01/07/2018 08:21

I'm confused.

Why are you considering £400 a month to privately rent to escape the bedroom tax?
What is the extra council tax required because of the extra room?
I am guessing that it is nowhere near a £400 increase.
Why don't you just pay that instead?

speakout · 01/07/2018 08:22

Because £400 pound a month is £4800 a year- I can't imagine that is anywhere near the extra needed to top up the council tax.

AStatelyPleasureDome · 01/07/2018 08:30

Well Basic, perhaps he will be lucky and OP's mother will die early, so it won't cost very much. Jeez, some of these threads are so depressing!

Swipe left for the next trending thread