Will I inherit debt?

[StressedMom4]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place, I couldn't find anything relating to debt.

I'm the youngest of 3 daughters and my mother lives alone in a council house. She's lived there just over 20 years. I try not to talk to her to much about finances but she's become ill the past 3/4 years with severe memory loss. She's taken out a few credit cards but can't give a clear explanation as to why but she also forgets how to pay them.

She has zero savings and only has her job salary as income.

She mentioned the other day that she's put me down as her next of kin, and another family member made a joke that I'll need to start saving to pay off her debts.

With her bad health I have been so so worried about her.

It sounds gross that I'm thinking about what happens when she passes (even though I know she's got a couple more decades in her) but she's continuing to build this mountain of debt. Not only that but her council house is so badly looked after. The floorboards need replacing, the door frames have rotted away, there's large holes in the walls. But because she's never reported them to the council (the house started falling apart when I was a little girl) so now it's her responsibility to fix it all.

What I'm trying to ask is because I'm her next of kin (does it matter that I didn't know that?) will all her debts be moved onto me? Will I have to pay the damages to her house?

Thanks guys!

No you will not be personally responsible for any of her debts. Legally if there is no money in her estate after her funeral is paid for then all debts are null and void and don't have to be repaid, you will need to send a copy of the death certificate and a statement regarding the estate.

Thank you for clearing that up!

Has she seen her gp about her memory loss. Could she be at risk financially if she cant remember how to pay her bills and cards. Maybe she needs a memory and capacity test and a welfare visit from her doctor and the council to see if they can help with the repairs and money.

@SuzetteCrepe I'm not exaggerating when I say before lockdown it was once a month since last September. But he keeps giving her tablets and giving her the option for a sick note. He had her off work for 3 months saying it's all down to stress and anxiety.

I went to the doctor with her once in October because her work place got in touch with me concerned about her memory as well. He shut me down and said because she's under 60 (she's 57) it won't be dementia related and left it at that.

Were encouraging her to change doctors but she puts it off then forgets. It's like going round in circles.

I am worried about people taking advantage of her financially but I feel out of my depth with where to start.

She's got a bad history with the council and I worry they may take advantage of her if we let them in on what's going on.

I would try and find another gp. Would a district nurse or social worker be able to visit her. Maybe even the tablets are making her memory worse. Would she let you look after her money and have power of attorney or third party access to her accounts.

That sounds like a crap GP.

Early Onset Dementia is definitely a thing. I have a social worker friend who specialises in it. Get a second opinion.

However the fact that you can't inherit debt doesn't mean that all this isn't a problem. She could get herself into an awful tangle. At 57 she could easily have another 30 years ahead of her with or without her marbles, so the finance issues need to be got under control.

My DM was diagnosed with dementia at 50. PM me if you want to discuss...

Thanks guys for all the concerns for my mom, it is a serious situation she's in and I'm gonna continue to advocate for her.

Even though I'm somewhat relieved my debt-inheritance problem is solved, I'm still going to focus on getting my moms health taken seriously, I just didn't want my thread to go from money talk then hijacked to my moms memory. I may start a separate thread in the right forum about her possible dementia but that'll be when I've exhausted all avenues in the real world.

I think once I finally get a diagnosis for my moms health I'll be able to move forward and protect her financially.

Thanks guys!

Be aware that if she is deemed to have lost her mental capacity she will no longer be able to put in place Lasting Powers of Attorney for her Health & Wellbeing or her Financial Affairs, and instead you would need to go down the route of applying for Deputyship through the Court of Protection. It might be worth your while trying to broach the subject of LPAs with her now before it's too late. If you are her attorney you can make decisions on her behalf to act in her best interests.

It would be good to get her finances under control, if work are concerned about her memory which might affect her ability to carry on then she would need help with that.

The council should be maintaining her home. Has she done anything to cause the damage?
If it's just wear and tear then the council need to sort it.