Tory manifesto: Adult Social Care bill query

The Dark Horse

I've been trying to find an answer to this question but can't, does anyone know? It's in regards to this new Conservative manifesto pledge about not selling your home if you need care but £100,000 being ring fenced for your family. How do they work out how much you owe? So say your home is worth £300,000 and your in care for a year before you die, how do they work out your bill so they know how much to deduct from your house sale? Is there a standard daily charge?

Cocksure

I would imagine that they will go on what the current costing are.

Currently care at home runs at around 30 to 60k a year depending on needs. I would imagine that they won't value your house to you die.

So 300k house less 100k = 200k less costs which on average is around 35k a year.

It's where they will set the inheritance mark is the great unknown (before or after social costs) and what will happen to any partner or dependents that live in the property after your death. Will they have to sell immediately or will it be delayed for a time?

Lots and lots is left unsaid

Enki

I suppose people accumulate the cost through their social care journey, so like a loan and no doubt this loan will be sold off to various private companies.  Reckon they will drop it, individualism will loose out to collective responsibility as they always do in such matters. they are going after people's legacies but hopefully not too soon it's a beautiful gift.  Purely antedotal, since this came out have worked one of my grandmothers social care bill out, it would have been around £400.000 in today's prices.

EarthRod

Will have to wait and see.

The government are not giving much out on this - grey area.

Enki

If there was ever a case of bias media, if this was any other party and their manifesto the the national media would have been all over it from the off.  My guess they will, once they get a whiff of the discontent from its veiwers and readership, that I'm hearing. Good example of how disconnected the Conservative party and it's media is becoming.

Cocksure

They have said that they would setup a fund that will cover the costs and then when you die the assets will go back into it.

I would imagine it would work in a similar way to student loans, no interest but it keeps up with inflation.

EarthRod

Well - it's better than George Osborne's fiscal announcements. Much of his unwelcome changes were not mentioned in parliament on budget day - kept hidden - until people found out a week or two later.

EarthRod

Knowing the Tories past behaviour, I wonder if @Enki is right - the management of this will be handed over to private companies.

Wouldn't surprise me.

kbfern

I quite like this proposal as if you or your partner go into a nursing home you will still have 100k  of your assets protected where at the moment it is only circa £23k.

It will affect care at home where at the moment your home is not counted as an asset only any cash/investments of £23k. This would be increased to £100k but you would have to pay for full in home care costs in excess of £100k .

This may mean that rather than families letting the state (you and I as taxpayers) fund it they may take some responsibility themselves and look after their own partner/parents for some of the help needed in order to keep the costs down & therefore protect the inheritance somewhat in addition to feeling good about looking after their loved ones themselves where possible.

I would personally rather look after my wife or Mother in law (the only persons in my case who would qualify) if at all possible as an act of love rather than some unknown paid for carer coming in 2-3 times a day for basic care in dressing/washing/feeding, help with taking medication etc than paying through the nose for services me or my wife can do ourselves.

I have seen these visits before with an elderly relative and the carers (usually 2) breeze in ask how they are, helps them take a few pills and chat for 5 mins and exit till the next visit later in the day.

Cocksure

I would agree that something needs to be done about how social care is funded and provided, but this is not the way.

This is an old labour type policy not Tory.

Its back to save and be careful with your money and be punished for it. P*ss it up the wall and get rewarded. For the 1st time ever i'm going to be voting labour instead of tory/ukip due to this policy