Long, slightly complicated situation re elderly parents, help re legal stance on debt.

[TensionWheelsCoolHeels]

My mum is about to turn 66, my dad, 68. Mum is retired, receives about £500 per mth from state & private pensions. Dad is 'retired' i.e. took out his private pension (took cash sums 3 years ago) but is still working full time. He earns (I think) about £42/43k a year (£2850ish per mth). I think he gets about £270 from private pension. Mum has debt about £7k on credit cards, dad has at least £28k (that I've found, there could be more).

Mortgage paid off, house worth about £100k, dad has a car worth about £6/8k, but clearly depreciating as high mileage due to job.

Mum has just had a bad fall, broken both ankles & currently in hospital about 400 miles away (visiting family) & likely to be kept in after op for at least 6 weeks.

Dad looking to get compassionate leave to care for mum when she's allowed back home. Current debt situation (IMO) means that's not a realistic option. But I'm concerned he's not going to be thinking straight & not fully appreciate the risk to the roof over their heads if he stops work completely to care for mum (suspect work may take this opportunity to 'encourage' him to properly retire).

I need to know the implications for both my parents if he stops working/earning his high salary while they both have debts (his significantly worse) & how that impacts the roof over their heads. If he stops work, and can't repay his debt (or hers), would it be possible for them to stay in their home but somehow address the debt situation? I'm trying to gather as much factual information regarding this to try & persuade my dad that he needs to keep working but perhaps work from home a few days a week while I help out the rest of the time, so that he can pay down the debt mountain while he still can. My worry is he's already thinking of taking compassionate leave before we even know what my mums needs will be & the help she'll possibly qualify for, & isn't thinking of the full impact & implications of no longer having the salary that he could use to get him out of the hole he's in.

Any help/advice on the implications of this debt, on their living arrangements & house, if he stops earning his wage & they are then both reliant on only pensions etc.

If the debt is unsecured (credit card etc) there is no risk to the house. If it is secured on the house then they'll need to keep up the minimum repayments.

They should ask the lenders to freeze interest and seek advice from a debt advisory service (a free one!).

With no mortgage though it sounds like they should be able to pay off that level of debt fairly quickly though tbh - £1500 a month say.

Sorry about your mum - breaking both ankles sounds a nightmare.

If the house is paid off wouldn't they be better off selling it, paying off all debts and buying a smaller house with what's left. Then they still have a home with no mortgage but no debt worries

Thanks, its mostly credit card debts, theres 1 loan I can't account for, so I don't know the full extent but most of it.

Yes, it should be easily cleared debt given his income & salary but he's an impossible man with a problem with money & 'won't be told' what to do with 'his' money. I need to know the worse case scenario, to be blunt with him & focus his mind on what needs to be done to get them both out the hole they are in. Having looked at the paperwork, he's currently paying about £7/800 on interest each moth alone, so the debt is going nowhere.

I'm going to try an sit him down on Monday when he comes back & spell it all out to him on what needs to be done & hope he'll listen for the 1st time in his life as I need to keep the worry over this to a minimum for my mum so she can concentrate on getting better.

Thanks for the replies.

Selling the house may be an option but my dads refused that before & is in denial about the extent of his problems. My mums tried (and failed) to sort this out for years. They might not have a choice in the end if he won't listen.

I'll try that alpaca, the possibility of other debt is a worry. My mum mentioned a huge sum of money disappearing out of their a/c just before she went away, and I knew nothing about it. If it's more than I've uncovered then it's even more important that he faces up to things & realises what needs to be done.

Thanks for the suggestions, much appreciated.