Expert help needed both off and online!
We have been back and forth trying to decide whether to go on fair deal or not for our mother. We get very limited, unhelpful, curt answers from the lady we are dealing with in the HSE. And a lot of what she says contradicts info here. Are there any financial advisers offering expert Fair Deal advice that we can visit to talk over options? We have tried calling a number to no avail. None deal directly with FD.
OUR SITUATION: (any help appreciated)
Last October our mother was approved for the Fair Deal. She was assessed as having a total contribution of 1366 (664 income, 10 cash assets and 692 assessed on her PPR).
As our planned nursing home was 1200, we asked would she just pay that (not 1366) and we were told in no uncertain terms that no - she will have to pay the full 1366 - and that the line about not paying more than the cost of care is to do with the lifetime of the contributions - it made no sense to me, but she threatened to hang up on me when I questioned the logic.
From what I'm reading here - our mother wouldn't take up or be offered the FD option at all - but we could apply for a lower loan - is that right?
She did tell us that the 3 year period for the PPR under Fair deal applies from first entering the home - so any time she can pay for herself will save in the long run. For that reason when she entered a nursing home in March this year we paid privately to buy time - paying from
savings at 1300 a week privately. Fairdeal price is 1200.
Her savings are depleting but we are looking at renting out her house and possibly supplementing her cash with ours.
Questions we cannot find answers on:
1. Any experts we can visit to get advice on this please?
2. At current rate of assessment - she would not get any support but could apply for a smaller loan?
3. If she is on Fairdeal - you are assessed on after-tax income. If you then get a lump sum tax refund the following year for the contributions she makes- how does the HSE treat that - as Income or Assets? (This would make a big difference to her available cash)
Thanks so much to anyone who can shed light on this. I am actually in Australia and trying to sort this out with my sisters - who are exhausted.
We have been back and forth trying to decide whether to go on fair deal or not for our mother. We get very limited, unhelpful, curt answers from the lady we are dealing with in the HSE. And a lot of what she says contradicts info here. Are there any financial advisers offering expert Fair Deal advice that we can visit to talk over options? We have tried calling a number to no avail. None deal directly with FD.
OUR SITUATION: (any help appreciated)
Last October our mother was approved for the Fair Deal. She was assessed as having a total contribution of 1366 (664 income, 10 cash assets and 692 assessed on her PPR).
As our planned nursing home was 1200, we asked would she just pay that (not 1366) and we were told in no uncertain terms that no - she will have to pay the full 1366 - and that the line about not paying more than the cost of care is to do with the lifetime of the contributions - it made no sense to me, but she threatened to hang up on me when I questioned the logic.
From what I'm reading here - our mother wouldn't take up or be offered the FD option at all - but we could apply for a lower loan - is that right?
She did tell us that the 3 year period for the PPR under Fair deal applies from first entering the home - so any time she can pay for herself will save in the long run. For that reason when she entered a nursing home in March this year we paid privately to buy time - paying from
savings at 1300 a week privately. Fairdeal price is 1200.
Her savings are depleting but we are looking at renting out her house and possibly supplementing her cash with ours.
Questions we cannot find answers on:
1. Any experts we can visit to get advice on this please?
2. At current rate of assessment - she would not get any support but could apply for a smaller loan?
3. If she is on Fairdeal - you are assessed on after-tax income. If you then get a lump sum tax refund the following year for the contributions she makes- how does the HSE treat that - as Income or Assets? (This would make a big difference to her available cash)
Thanks so much to anyone who can shed light on this. I am actually in Australia and trying to sort this out with my sisters - who are exhausted.