For the ninth year running there has been no change to the upper capital limit for Local Authority means testing in England and it remains at £23,250.
The lower rate of Attendance Allowance has increased to £58.70 per week whilst the higher rate is now £87.65 per week, an increase of 2.4% for both rates.
The Funded Nursing Care contribution has increased by 4.7% to £165.56 per week (payable directly to the Care Provider not usually to the individual).
Our first ‘gold bar’ from the prestigious Health Insurance Awards was won back in 2003 – 15 years later, Michael Hastings, one of our SOLLA accredited advisers has been shortlisted and we wish him lots of luck for the final in a couple of weeks’ time.
If you, like us, were expecting to read a Green Paper on Social Care in the next few weeks, Jeremy Hunt announced this afternoon “we now intend to publish the social care Green Paper in the autumn around the same time as the NHS plan“.
Keep on watching this space!
Some people with dementia are eligible for a discount on their council tax bill. Sometimes the people who care for them are eligible for a discount too. Take a look at this factsheet produced by the Alzheimer’s Society.
If you did this between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2017, you may be entitled to claim a refund.
Find our how here.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found Lincolnshire Council did not tell a man’s family about the options available when he was placed in a care home.
The family had to pay a ‘top-up’ fee when the council should have offered them the choice of a home which did not require the additional amount
Well we now know what won’t be happening – the £72,000 cap in 2020. As to what will be happening, we wait for the Green Paper due to be published by summer 2018. Read more.
In the meantime, there is still an option for self-funders to cap their care home costs and protect some of their savings in the event of longevity. Speak to one of our advisers on 0800 182 1155 for more information.…
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The latest consensus is that the proposed cap of £72,000 on care fees, originally due to be implemented in April 2016 and then postponed until 2020, will now be abandoned completely. Read more.
It is now unclear when, or if, a cap will be introduced at all. Watch this space……
The National Audit Office (NAO) has published the findings of its investigation into NHS continuing healthcare (CHC). Only about 18% of cases that were screened for this funding ended up with the person being found to be eligible. The Key Findings report can be accessed here.
So, a person’s property would no longer be a disregarded asset if they need care in their own home? But everyone will be allowed to keep £100,000 of their wealth to pass onto their beneficiaries? https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/17/theresa-may-conservative-tory-policy-older-people-pay-for-social-care. The devil will be in the detail for sure.
There is no mention that we can find of whether tariff income will still be charged when a person’s capital reaches this proposed new £100,000 limit and, if so, whether the lower capital limit will…
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