Care home expenses

[anonymous-user]

Care homes can be really expensive and as far as I'm aware your allowance is £23,500 which lets your local council make you use your assets above this threshold to pay for private residential care, what legitimate 'expenses' can be paid out of your assets to reduce your wealth? Cheers

[98elise]

What's the time difference between spending your wealth and needing care?

[anonymous-user]

No. . . You already in the 'paying zone' but you still have access to your cash, what can you give away to family/pay for in advance for their benefit thus reducing the cash amount legally?

[anonymous-user]

• NB. For family's benefit or your own ( assuming you live a while )

[Countdown]

Do you mean how long the gap between them giving you the money and going into taxpayer-funded care?

There's no set time limit but they probably won't look too far back so good luck!

https://www.which.co.uk/elderly-care/financing-car...

[Simpo Two]

Councils can make bad enemies. They may be slow, stupid and often wrong but they have legal departments with bottomless resources. They can look back at finances for more than the HMRC 6 years, and if they don't like what they see can and will take a charge on the property. The fact they are becoming increasingly skint makes them hungrier.

Social Services are mean and nasty and you will do well if you beat them. I did, but only thanks to an excellent Councillor who outflanked and outranked them. In short, take them seriously because they have power of life and death but little intelligence. A dangerous combination.

[Jockman]

Research previous threads on this topic, OP. This is a divisive topic.

Some will say you are 'gaming' the system, others will support your 'prudence'.

At the end of the day, what you ultimately decide behind closed doors should stay there.

[James_B]

mgsontour said:

No. . . You already in the 'paying zone' but you still have access to your cash, what can you give away to family/pay for in advance for their benefit thus reducing the cash amount legally?

Legitimate and normal expenses, and nothing more. Replacing you car and going on your normal holidays is fine, swapping the focus for a Chiron or gifting your nephew £100k will likely not end well.

The rules tend not to be set in stone, someone will oook at your spending and make a determination.

[anonymous-user]

Thanks for all your input, all sound sensible answers