What options does my mum have? 65, no property, no pension.

[Liverpoolgirl50]

As the title states - I’m nervous for my mum. She’s 65, privately rents (has never owned) and hasn’t paid into a private pension. Unfortunately my dad left her in a lot of debt so any savings she had went towards paying that off. She is on a salary of 26k and can cover her outgoings now, but isn’t going to be able to work forever..

She’s on a list for a council property but is very low down for priority. She has done a calculation for universal credit should she not be working and it isn’t enough to cover her bills etc.

She’s told me that she’s starting to worry as she gets older. My husband and I have a young baby and really don’t have the space for her to live with us, but if that’s the only option we have then I imagine we’d have to make it work.

Does anyone here know what her options are, or who she could speak to for advice?

Sorry @Liverpoolgirl50 just saw your update, that's great news

@poshsnobtwit because she now has dementia and her life savings will be spent on care . If she hadn't saved it would be paid for by the state .

That's only if you're buying them.

Have you looked at Almshouses?

Or something like

https://www.partiscollege.com/

or

http://www.duchessofsomerset.co.uk/

This website is a good way to find options for anyone still looking- many traditional housing associations let you apply direct instead of through the council.
https://housingcare.org/elderly-uk-sheltered-housing

Anchor is well known:
www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/care/housing-options/sheltered-housing/

This is an eye opener friend of mine’s mum needs care they’ve had to pay as she had a pension and savings they have paid thousands. Now they have to sell her mother’s home to pay the care home fees. So…it’s seem of you saved over your lifetime and have a home you are well and truly clobbered! But if you do nothing you get a council house, your rent paid for free and access to a lot of freebies jeez!! 🙄 unbelievable…

I agree. I am 66 and I let three rooms to lodgers. We all live together very happily in my house. It prevents us from ever feeling lonely and there is always someone here in an emergency, for all of us.

Don't save anything and throw yourself on the state if you want. Most of us prefer to save and have choices. Partly because that allows the state to be able to afford to help those like the OP's mum who fall on hard times.

I hope the council house works out well for her.

That's interesting - are they all a similar age? How many bathrooms do you have? I always think I wouldn't mind having lodgers if I had my own bathroom.

Oh dear get a grip!!

I am not throwing myself on anything …my friends mother is in a care home it’s costs £8k per month the family have paid that out of her mums savings/pension.

Savings have now run out now they want her house sold to pay …

My friend has told me that they have paid a small fortune in care fees but others in the same home are getting it all for free…they are in a legal battle with the council at the moment. How is that fair?? It’s not…

Her mum worked and scrimped all her life neve had holidays brought up my friend single handed and has had to pay but others get it all for free same care but pay zero.

I’m shocked tbh by her situation…seems like pensions if u look after yourself you are penalised…facts are facts…

Yes after working in benefits for older people for a while I have come to realize this too. It's not worth saving. Those who never saved into a private pension do much better than those who saved a little, especially if getting pension credit which then means they get all their rent and council tax paid, add into that if they qualify for a disability benefit then they get severe disability premiums on their pension credit. They just end up having more than those who scrimped to pay into a small pension. Those worst off are those who scrimped to buy they own home but just get state pension and a small pension, puts them out of reach of any help and all gets taken in care home fees if needed and also they struggle to maintain the property with little income.

100% @Babyroobs her mum scrimped to buy her own home never had a holiday etc and she has been well and truly screwed over.

others in the home paying zero nothing and her mum’s entire life savings and home will be taken…they could have had a holiday or enjoyed themselves but they didn’t!

why bother? It’s wrong 😑

if u don’t save and rely on state you get pension credits which is a gateway to free council tax and all sorts..

lesson learned look out for yourself and you will be worse off that those that just haven't bothered …unfair !

Yes - it is unfair and gives a false picture of those who did make provision for their old age as they get berated for being a scrounger and rich and still getting the state pension and winter fuel allowance.

Those who did not save - those on pension credit - get full council tax paid, free TV licence at 75, COL payments in addition, cold weather payments, free bulk waste pickup (I had to pay £21 to get 2 mattresses picked up!) and the list goes on.

I fall between those on generous defined benefit pensions and those who have not got enough to live on who cannot be left to starve (which is as it should be)

My state pension is £13k pa (taxed now) plus a small annuity of £5k pa and I am currently finding the cost of maintaining my house takes my savings and I pay 3/4 of my council tax. This does not leave much spare but I have to say that I prefer to feel I have paid my way through life and still doing it all on my own.

That looks interesting, thank you for posting the links

@ruby1957 I know it’s a shame and seems very unjust that you have saved but you aren’t getting the extras that those who haven’t bothered do…it’s unfair! You are worse off because you saved …

my eyes have been opened seeing my friends mum lose it all on care fees while most at the home are getting it for free…she has paid out thousands upon thousands and others not paid a bean!

Yes honestly it's crazy the amounts some of these pensioners are getting on top of all rent and council tax paid. Very little difference between those people and all their top ups and people like yourself who have saved a little or have a small pension.

However, if you have paid into a private pension and bought your own home and then live independently at home without the need to go into a care home when you are older, financially you've done well?
I wouldn't want to see hard-working people in hardship, however I would hope that putting money into your own home and into a private pension as people always recommend would see you right in old age.

I’ve found out all this via my friend.
its seems very, very unfair …😕.

Look after yourself and put money by for your retirement and you will be 💩 upon big time!

lo and behold if you struggled your entire life to buy a home that is taken off you …and those that didn’t get it all paid for ! Madness. She is struggling to her head around it …and I must say I am too…it’s so wrong …😶

The Conservative government mooted the idea of a cap in England of something around £86,000 taken for care. According to BJ it was ‘oven ready’ until it wasn’t and has now been put on hold until 2025, I believe. It’s very unfair.I have no issue with paying towards care if you have funds but to have all savings and property taken down to £23:000 is very very unfair to those who have worked and saved all their lives and hoped to leave something for their children.

@jennylamb1 if you need to go into a care home they will raid your savings and then make you sell your home to pay…

your children won’t see a penny …

meanwhile others in the home won’t pay a penny their costs will be covered …can’t pay won’t pay! Is that right…no don’t think so

Can anyone help with my query? My mother owns and lives in an old park home (mobile home) on a caravan site, as that is all she could afford to buy outright when her relationship ended and she was too old for a mortgage.

It's not in great condition, and she's not allowed to let it out either to a tenant or for holidays. She has to pay the site fees as well as bills.

Does this count as owning her own property if she were to apply for council/social housing? She is in her seventies and still working as she can't afford much just on her pension when she has to pay the site fees as well as bills and running a car (rural site so car essential).

@BrakesOff yes! Best thing she can do is sell it and when the money runs out apply for benefits

So OP if your mum has no property and no pension …no worries.

She will be looked after more so than those that have managed to do these things…she more than likely will be better off than those that have scrimped and put aside a small amount into a pension…
You couldn’t make this madness up.

Thank you - how would the timing work for that, could she apply for social housing while still owning it? As she would need to live in it until offered something else...

You are allowed an amount of money before benefits or care kicks in. Have a Google what your local authority threshold is .