Elderly relative - home care costs

[ShepherdMoons]

Hi
We have an elderly relative who has very little pension (state pension + pension credit). She has lived with her son (my cousin) for many years (he is 50 and does the bulk of the shopping and cleaning). He's approached me recently about some home care for his dm. The house is valued at about £375,000 but due to lack of funds hasn't been renovated. My cousin has a reasonable income as a self employed plasterer. Would his dm be entitled to some help with care costs or would they expect her to sell the house to fund her costs?

They are both clear that his dm doesn't want to go into residential care but that they do need some extra help at home.

As I understand it, the social services will assess your relative for her care needs and her financial situation. If they agree she requires care, they will offer the support they think she needs and will then look at her income, savings and assets. Your cousin also needs to ask for a carer's assessment too.

Is he claiming Attendance allowance and is your elderly relative claiming mobility allowance - if not they both should as this can be used to pay towards the home care by the Council or even buy in extra.

The Council will only be able to provide low level support initially - this is how it seems to work in my experience. You need X but get offered x. Even if it isn't enough in your eyes take it, as next time you ask the pressure is on them to increase it. Some councils are good (Have experience with a London borough and one in north of England) - others not so good. You have to be firm about asking for what you need. I think I'm right in saying your cousin's income doesn't get taken into account - but you'll need to check. There's a very good service attached to Aged UK - it will be on their website. Basically they will go over your financials let you know how much you'll be expected to contribute.

Your cousin will not be expected to sell the house even if your elderly relative does later need residential / nursing care. But they can put a charge on the property to claim contributions once they have died.

If the social services assessment doe not award your elderly relative any support (and this does happen) your cousin can use the attendance allowance and the mobility allowance to pay for home care.

It's well worth you / your cousin getting in touch with his local Aged UK group - they can give him a flavour of the local council support as well as provide general support.

The value of the property is not taken into account when calculating contributions towards the cost of care at home. Is it his home or hers, or jointly owned? If hers, it’s only taken account of if she goes into residential care. If his, it’s not taken account of at all. And if it is hers, if your cousin is over 60 it would be disregarded.

So any contribution to care will be based on savings and income. You can find more info here: www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/care/paying-for-care/paying-for-homecare/

DPotter is getting the names of allowances confused. If your cousin is providing at least 35hours care a week, he can apply for Carers’ Allowance. Your aunt can apply for Attendance Allowance. Worth getting help to fill in the forms fromAge UK to get the jargon right.

Thanks, he's not providing care as such. He prepares food, makes his dm a cup of tea but he works a lot so not really there to do care. I will ask him to speak to Age UK to see what could be done. I think he was just worried that they would see the house if she needs home care.

For care at home they won’t take into account the property.

When you say he’s worried they’ll ‘see the house’ do you mean financially or see that it’s in a bad state?

If it’s the latter then this might be commented on if it’s in a very bad way, dangerous, or lacking basic amenities, or would be a place home carers might decline to go into.

To get the care he/the relative needs to phone the local adult social services team/the council.

Council will take big chunk of pension and pension credit as “what you need to live on” is different from what DWP give you and what the local council as what you “need” I get £140 live on but council only let me
Keep £90 a week plus take my disability benefits to pay for Home care. So although she may keep home she may well find her quality of life drops as bills are getting much higher and what she is expected to live in is reduced.

Care charges are not just for those have proper savings they will still take from your basic income just so you are aware. Her son may need contribute more to household so heating etc and bills can still be paid.

The council should leave her with £189 per week and take into account disability related expenditure, ie extra spending on heating, care alarm etc etc.

Looking to the longer term, it will be important for them both to be aware of the various implications that might arise. Who actually owns the house? Does your cousin pay any rent etc?