To be angry that my uncle hasn't paid Tax or NI for over 30 years!

[Tensixtysix]

My uncle has recently fallen ill and as his only relative it seems to have fallen on me to take care of him.
He needs to go into a nursing home and at least he has his own home, so that will have to be sold.
But he then drops the bombshell that it's worth would end up all going to HMRC because since the early 80s, he's been self employed as a painter/decorator and never applied for it.
He hardly ever went to the GP or hospitals.
But now in his 80s, he needs help and now THIS!
He's doomed isn't he?

As PPs have already said - phone his county's social services and tell them. Nobody can make you look after him. Does he have no local friends who could help - even if it's just popping in occasionally?

Also, you do need to establish whether he has any money at all. Despite his lack of contributions, the state would not leave him with no care or let him starve. But I suspect he does have some stashed away and doesn't want to tell you about it.

it was his parents house

Is it even "his" then ? Has it been through probate, or did his parents die intestate ?

If you are going to get involved you may need a solicitor before going any further. Even a free session with your CAB if you can.

If he is in hospital they will have asked him to nominate a Next of Kin on admission - but you do not have th accept that nomination if you do not wish to. They cannot force you to care for him but are likely to try every trick in the book to get you to do so!

@Windygate

@Idontwanttotalk "if the OP's uncle is in his 80s he may well have started work in the early 50s and paid both tax and NI (or whatever it was then). Only way to find out is to claim state pension and pension credit."
When OP said 30 years I assumed she meant 30 years up to retirement but I suppose he still could have paid for a few years.

OP, why don't you enter his NI number into the online calculator to see whether he does have any pension qualifying years rather than just make a claim.

"As for benefits, he will qualify for something. There are people who've never paid tax or NI perhaps because they never worked after leaving school or came into this country as older people."
So, older people can come into this country, having not paid anything in and claim State Pension? Wow, I'm quite shocked that we pay money to people who have paid nothing into the system.

Does he really have to go into a nursing home or could he have carers come in to his home?

Do check whether he has cash hidden in the house, that seems likely. Don't let him sell the house, if he does have to go into residential care it can be let to pay the fees. Presumably you will inherit it eventually so it's worth taking care of.

Do they need to know he didn't declare money?
Say he looked after his bipolar wife, or that she worked then spent all their savings gambling. He didn't work.
I don't think it matters as he has no money stashed away that he is hiding. So can't redeem his wrongdoing.
Get the house sold using a house clearer and speak to social services about care.

He isn't your responsibility. I'd have nothing to do with his situation

You’re not the only one to be peeved OP
My sister now 52 has NEVER paid tax in her life, and claimed benefits until mid 30’s - only stoped claiming because her husband earns too much!!
Yet she has the gall to tell others how skint she is and can be very vindictive of others who she assumes have more than her...
No wonder we haven’t spoken for years.
She works for parents, who pay her half cheque half cash - so has always been under the radar.

The entire family are awful snobs!

If he got carers allowance for his wife, he’d have NI credits towards state pension.

I'm pretty sure HMRC can only claim back for six years of undeclared tax. So it's unlikely they can claw back the value of his house.

Twenty if deliberate behaviour can be proved.

Your uncle is an arsehole. I have no time for those who don’t contribute to the state. Having not contributed a penny then I don’t see why we he should be the state’s problem now.