Selling Home For Care Fees

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My father has been in care home for a year, he is council funded apart from contribution from his pensions.
My mother has been at home but is now wanting to go into a nursing home as she doesn't get on with carers, there are also some safeguarding issues so this is best course of action now. My mother will be self funding as she received some inheritance last year from a sibling and that will probably cover several months care home fees.
They own their own house so that will need to be sold if she settles into a home.
Obviously my dad's share of house sell will be used for his funding. Does anyone know how long the council will give you to sell?
So stressed with it all.

I would imagine the best course of action would be to have the house on the market sooner rather than later so that when the inheritance starts to run out there will be money available although I think if it takes longer than anticipated to sell, you can owe the money back, rather than having to move to a cheaper home or whatever. Sorry not sure what happens when the house money runs out I guess it wont last that long with two lots of care fees. It is stressful. Speak to Age Uk for clarification.

I am confused, I need to inform council of change in finances to do with my dad and wondering how soon they will be asking for him to pay full costs.

MIL moved into a care home fully funded last summer. A few weeks later FIL died and inheriting his savings made her self funding, albeit not for long. It took until just before Christmas for her POA to come through and as she is unable to deal with her finances due to her disabilities we are only just sorting it out with the council

MIL is in a home but she still has her house. The council has put some sort of claim on it , and it will be sold when she dies.
I think it’s wrong that the house stands empty for years when there’s fields being ripped up for more houses.

Even though your mum would be self funding you need an assessment from adult social care to confirm this is the best option.
This will trigger adult social care funding her care until the sale of the house. She (and your dad) would then be back billed until they have £23,250 in savings left each.

Yes they need a financial assessment and he will have to pay fees 12 weeks after he is deemed to be self funding. You get a 12 week disregard.
You can do a deferred payment option also like someone already mentioned.

contact your local authority and start the financial assessment process asap.

First thing is to get the house on the market, get your mother settled into a care home and then inform the council, they know it takes time to sell

It’s a minefield.
my mum is self funding after my Dad died in sept. I’m seeing an EA today to value mums house as we need to sell and bank the money to pay for the care home fees.

Won’t your mums inheritance affect your dads fees for the care home. As they are a married couple? X

My aunt was in a care home for four years - died recently - the house still hasn't been sold. The council will pay and take a charge against the house, it's called a deferred payment scheme. You can rent out the house to contribute to the fees.

You don't get the 12 week disregard if he's already there.

As PP said deferred payment can be applied for. Your dad will become self-funding as soon as your mum moves permanently into the care home.

Does she really need care home though? If she's being managed by carers at home it's a big jump. For social services to place she'd usually need night time needs. Appreciate she's not looking for council funding right away though.

Why can’t the house be sold now?

Not absolutely sure, but I do t think she would allow it, if she has a say in it.
The council have some sort of claim on it when it is sold.
Its currently empty with MIL paying for window cleaner and gardner, plus standing charges, and for the boiler to be on to stop pipes freezing.

It might depend on the individual council but when my mum went into a home they were happy to pay until her bungalow was sold, then we paid them and she became self funding.

I kept them in the loop with regular emails, it took several months.

If there's no POA and her mum doesn't have capacity no one has the right to sell until a guardian is appointed (long and expensive) or she dies and probate is granted.

No. They’re assessed separately. Mum’s savings aren’t included in dad’s assessment, so neither should be inheritance.

Can you suggest to her that the house is rented out?

I know that. I’m currently going through this for my stepfather.

She wouldn’t sign POA.

She wouldn’t allow it. Plus no one would want to take on the responsibility of it.

TBH having the responsibility is a lot easier than not having one but if she wouldn't sign there's not a lot you can do

Without being rude, it is frequently the case that a house is not rentable unless a considerable sum is spent on it, such as a rewire.

Exactly this. And it takes someone’s time to manage that, handle tenant complaints etc

That’s fair enough, we can’t rent out our stepfathers house as it needs things doing to it, so it’s just sitting there. At least we will be able to sell it very soon though once the Court of Protection stuff comes through.

Sorry to jump on the back of this thread but am following with interest as in a similar situation that siblings and I are now having to consider residential care for mum with dementia. There is no POA in place (she wouldn't apply for one) so now having to start Court of Protection application in order to either rent or sell mums house. Just wondering what anyones experience of this is?