Thank you so much.

I don't really think this is anything to do with the NHS but this seems to be where the Care Home funding issues are. I am sorry this is long-winded but am hoping it saves you having to ask questions. My mother has been cared for at home for many years by me and by carers. She is 98 and has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's for seven years. It is not getting any better as you may guess. After one fall of many caused a broken ankle last year she ended up first in our local hospital, then in a Rehabilitation Unit, then in an interim stay in a care home for assessment and re-enabling and finally in a permanent care home. To transfer her from the Rehab Unit to the Interim Care Home she was assessed and found not to have the mental capacity to make that decision and she was, after a Best Interest meeting moved very quickly to the interim home. We went through the same process when discussing her care after leaving the Interim Home, Mental Capacity Assessment where it was found she would not be able to decide in her own best interest and Best Interest meeting where it was decided she needed full-time permanent care as the LA would not be able to put in enough care at home. At this time I explained that although mum owned a bungalow she had an equity release mortgage, taken out before my father died 15 years ago. I took on PoA about eight years ago. Mum has been assessed for the payment for the Interim Care Home stay which I understand and will pay (when an invoice finally arrives) and for the first 12 weeks in the Permanent Care Home again, I understand the formula they are using and will pay it when billed. They could not find a home that could meet mum's needs for the rate the LA chooses to pay but the room she is in is at what the home calls Local Authority Rate. She has been assessed as needing to pay the full amount once the 12 weeks are passed. I have been asked as PoA to sign a form requesting a Deferred Payment Loan against the future capital from the bungalow. According to the formula in the "What is the Deferred Payments Scheme" paper they sent me they would calculate Mum to be in negative equity once the bungalow is sold. They are still asking me to sign but I am not a solicitor nor do I have any knowledge of the Care system other than what I have gleaned on the way. I think they will give mum/me this loan but it feels very unsafe to take it out. I feel we could end up with a debt we cannot pay if the house sells for what has been estimated as the value or less - especially with March and Brexit, etc. I have asked for a reassessment of what mum has to pay after the 12 weeks as the figures have been updated since the original assessment which was really a best guess at what the bungalow would sell for. At best she will only be able to fund a few weeks and I really could not have made it clearer that this was the situation from the outset. How can they charge her when their own figures suggest negative equity. I am quite prepared to pay whatever the law says she should but I feel very out of my depth with this. Help!

The more I look at the letter flumps the more I feel it just has to be a mistake. I will run it through the calculator and see what is says but why would they change me from the pension I have been getting for seven years - the one they agreed I should be getting - on to the one that is supposed to be for a woman (that's me) born on or after 6 April 1953. I was born in 1949. Thank you for the link

Hi, I do hope someone can help. I have received a letter from the Pension Service which say it is about my Pension Credit. I have been getting my State Pension since I was 60 and I am now 67. I have never received Pension Credit but have received Pension Savings Credit. This letter calculates from £155.60 and then deducts my small private pensions. In the past it has always been calculated on my actual pension made up of my Basic State Pension, plus Pre 97 additional state Pension, less contracted out deduction, plus Post 97 ASP, plus Graduated Retirement Benefit. The way they have now done it apparently brings me below Savings Credit but the total they get will make me about £15.00 worse off. Have I missed some change in legislation?

Unfortunately my mother has Altziemer's unclebulgaria67 and, although she copes with quite a bit and we have helped her keep as much independence as possible I don't think she would be deemed to have the capacity (although she would argue that ) This is why I have become so involved with her finances. So I would presumably have to inform the Solicitors of her death and ask them to step down. Thank you - at least I know step 1

Thank you Old Cogger. I just want to relax and forget it for the moment as you can imagine. I am my mothers POA so have slowly been transferring her files (as and when she is happy for me to do so) over to my house so I can go through everything and was surprised to see a solicitor named as executor but cannot think there will be much left to pay anyone!

This feels a little awful as my mother is alive and kicking albeit in her 90s but I have never dealt with a will - everything was in joint names when my father died so there was no "estate". There will be little when my mother does "go home" as she delightfully describes it but I would rather sort it out liaising with my brother to ensure there are no debts! (He is abroad) I have just read an article which says you do not need to use the solicitor named as the executor but feel I know so little about this and wonder where I would start. I wonder if someone could help just so I know the first steps and am not anxious when (she says she will live to 103) we get to this point.

As I say, I don't know the ins and outs of that estellyn, I was more concerned with the idea that they could recover the costs by moving three tenants into a four bedroomed house of which he owns half.

I believe the father, who needs the care, has become violent but I don't know the ins and outs. It was the threat of moving three tenants into a privately owned property that I found so strange. Thank you for all your thoughts on this. What a minefield!

Thanks for your comments. Estellyn, your last line set my mind at rest. Citizen B, I think a complaint should be made about this SW; it just sounds like bullying to me.

Thanks Honeybee. The article is directed at spouses and if she were his wife the home would be ignored anyway but it does seem to hold out some hope. I agree with your first post - may opinion would be that all they could do is put a charge on his share but I don't know the legalities of the councils position. The SW also originally said the daughter would have to sell an move to something using her share. It seems very bullying but perhaps she is within her rights.

I hope this is in the right place to put this. I have been chatting to someone about a case where a father and daughter were Tenants in Common and the father now has to go into care. First the daughter was told she would have to sell the house so the father's share could be used to pay for the care. The daughter did not believe this to be true and the Social Worker has now agreed it is not but has now said the council could move 3 tenants in to offset the care fees as it is 4 bedroom. The social worker said the tenants would be council approved but could be male, they could also be young and wanting to play music till all sorts of hours. It seems as if the SW believes the share of the house owned by the father passes to the council and can be used how they choose. I am concerned about this as my daughter and her partner - not married - are Tenants in Common and I wonder what this opens the up to if one of them should need care in the future. Does anyone know the legal position of the council re the father's share? Thank you.

I'm just at the point of starting to look id6052 and the ones I have seen advertised are all leasehold I think. I am not sure what shared ownership implies but would imagine that would be unusual for a retirement flat, but perhaps not. What difference does it make?

Thank you Caro. I think that I need to ask for the details as you say so that I can have a clear idea of what would be covered.

Thank you everyone. I did not know this help was available so I am still trying to get my head round it. I think my biggest worry is that Pension Savings Credit will not be available for those who get the new single tier pension and, although I am lucky enough to be able to claim it because I am already a pensioner it is being reduced very quickly (28% over the last three years). I do wonder what would happen if they phased it out completely and I was already receiving an amount for the service charges, etc. Would I loose that help do you think?

I am thinking of moving to a retirement flat. I currently receive Pension Savings Credit and Council Tax Benefit. If, when I move, I have the same capital and income would I be entitle to help with the ground rent and service charge? Also, I assume the if I did there would be limit to this or does it depend on the number of bedrooms? Thank you.

Thank you Conniff. They seem to have a permanent contract from another member of staff (in the same union I think) but permanent staff get things like training which is not always available to my relative and when it is it is paid at a lower hourly rate. Also the hourly rate is still paid at the same level (plus inflationary rises) as it was five years ago. There seems to be no opportunity for the sort of scale rises the permanent staff can get. I wondered if she needed to evidence this sort of thing? If she only needs to put together pay slips etc., I can stop her feeling she should be doing more. Her employer is saying the contracts are equitable.

Can anyone tell me what evidence to gather for this? This is not for me but for a member of my family. Having worked for four years the union is happy to take it forward but we would like to put as much information together as possible and I would like to be as helpful as I can.

Thank you Estellyn. I try to keep on top of these things but severe disability premium was something I had never heard of. Luckily when mum had a fall three or four years ago (perhaps luckily is wrong word as she broke bones in her pelvis ) a lady came to help me fill in the forms to tell them how much mum should pay for her care at that time. She sorted this out for me and mum has been getting it since then. Can I just clarify. I had always understood that I could claim Carers Allowance (hours allowing) but would not receive it as I get another benefit, i.e., State Pension. I also understood that if I had not been getting a state pension and did receive it Mum would loose her SDP. Are you saying that if I was getting carers premium mum would not loose her SDP? I really don't think I am spending 35 hours on her care at the moment but with Alzheimer's in the picture things may change and the extra bit would then be very helpful.

I feel better just reading "However the definition of what constitutes cared for hours does not exist" as I couldn't find one and thought I was missing something Your very clear description will help; thank you. I just need to sit down and work it all out!

Thank you Mr P. I think I am part of the problem as I am happy, indeed I feel privileged (most days ) to care for my mum and don't really want to do this but that probably applies to most people.

I should receive Pension Savings Credit shortly, when I turn 65. When I was on the phone applying for this I mentioned that I was my mother's carer. The lovely lady was very keen that I apply for Carer's Allowance, even working out how much additional Pension Savings Credit I would get. On one website it said you could include hours you are available. As I am her only carer I am available 24/7 but I am sure it is not as simple as that. I do all the normal things, cleaning, shopping, assisting with showering, medication, etc., while obviously trying to ensure she is as independent as possible. I also do things at my home which are to do with her needs. She is 93, has limited mobility and Alzheimer's but still at a stage where she can make (heat) her meals, etc. Mum receives AA at the lower level as she does not currently need overnight care. I have POA for her which means I spend some time keeping an eye on her bank account, bills, etc., and making sure she has enough cash. I have no idea if this would come to 35 hours or what I should include in the calculation and am ready just to give up but the money would help me to help Mum. I would be grateful if anyone could add clarity to this for me.

Well that's all sorted. Apparently she was getting it! The other thing I have realised is that if I end up claiming Carer's Allowance (I don't spend 35 hours with her at the moment) Mum would loose this premium and, unless I was getting Pension Credit I would not actually get anything - but I could have got that wrong too!

I did understand Swinginapig. I think it is actually any income received by the people listed that would be disregarded but really, who invented this system. I think I am quite on the ball - certainly more than my 92 year old mother with Alzheimer's could possibly be so how do they think we can sort out all these different ifs, buts and maybes Whoops - just seen antone's post which puts it very clearly.

Thanks for your thoughts. Thinking about it they may not actually need any further information just a knowledge of Mum's circumstances.