SELF-FUNDING QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Ask your self funding question below. Please provide your email address so we can send you the answer. Answers are provided within five working days, sometimes sooner depending on the complexity of the question.

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Your question about paying for care

This personal service for self-funders of care is provided by specialist care fees financial advisers and all answers are given in confidence.

Recently answered questions

My sister and I have lived together for 20 years and are now in our early 80s. What will happen to our property if one or both of us needs to go into care?

The property will be disregarded from the care funding means test when the first of you goes into care. If the second needs care, the value of the property can then be included. If the property then needs to be sold to help with the cost of fees, the local authority may help with funding until the property is sold. Should you both need to go into care at the same time, half the property’s value will be allocated to each of you for the means test.

Can we put our house in trust for our children to avoid a forced sale in the event that we need to go into care?

Putting property in trust for future generations is a complex issue not simply because of care costs but because the taxman is keen to prevent people trying to avoid inheritance tax - so legal advice is essential

Under the means test, your local authority may ask about your property ownership over some years. If it deems property was placed in trust deliberately to take it out of the means test, it may still be included.

Plus, the means-test upper threshold is low (currently £23,250 in England) so other assets could disqualify you from support in any case.

Our parents own their home jointly and have around £30,000 in savings. My father needs to go into nursing care but my mother wants to remain at home. Can we be forced to sell the property to pay for Dad’s care?

No. So long as your mother continues to live in it, the property won’t be included in the means test for care funding. However half of their joint savings will be. With £15,000 in assets, your father is above the lower capital limit of £14,250 and will be expected to make a contribution of £3 a week towards the cost of his care.

I have special dietary requirements but the only care home that can meet these charges more than my local authority is willing to pay.

If you argue successfully that the home is the only one available locally that meets your assessed needs, the council should meet the full cost, assuming you fall below the £14,250 means-test lower threshold. If the authority still refuses but you have set your heart on this home, a third-party will have to meet the shortfall.

My parents own their home and have £80,000 in savings. Will they get any financial help with the cost of care?

Their assets put them well above the threshold of £23,250 per person at which help is given with funding care in England. However, if they need help with basic daily tasks such as bathing and dressing they can claim for an Attendance Allowance (not in Scotland). If they require nursing, their local authority will pay a Nursing Care Contribution (NCC). It’s important to discuss with care homes how the NCC is accounted for in their fees.

We have paid for my mother to be in a nursing home for three years. Her condition has now deteriorated and she requires round-the-clock care. Can we get any more support?

You can ask that your mother is reassessed by the NHS. If she is in need of 24-hour nursing, the NHS should pay for all of this as ‘continuing care’. If this was the situation for some time, then some of your fees may be refunded.

Is a long term care plan guaranteed to cover care costs?

No – you will be told the annual income it is guaranteed to pay out so you can match this against a care home’s fees. Should fees rise in the future there may be a shortfall. However, care homes may be open to negotiation, knowing they are assured of the annuity income. Care plans may offer inflation-proofing or annual increases to help meet rising fees.

We have sold my father’s house to help with his nursing home costs. Are the proceeds still liable to inheritance tax?

If the capital is simply held in his bank account then it can be included in his estate for inheritance tax purposes on death. If the capital is used to purchase a long term care plan, then it may be ‘lifted’ out of his estate. If inheritance tax is a major concern for the family, speak to an accountant who specialises in estate planning.

My mother is quite wealthy. Is her local authority under any obligation help her find the right kind of care?

Yes – the local authority has a duty to assess her care needs and ensure she has access to suitable care, even if she funds it.

My widowed father needs to go into care now. He doesn’t qualify for means-testing but the property slump means it may take months to sell his bungalow to help with costs. What can we do?

The local authority must disregard the property from the cost of care for the first 12 weeks. If the property is still not sold after this time, the authorities will still continue to pay costs but will look to recoup these against the proceeds from the property when it is finally sold. Make sure your father claims Attendance Allowance to help with the cost of care.

Advice