Spouse's house included in carer's allowance means test?

[imogen]

I'm deflated after filling in most of the lengthy means test form and then figuring out that my husband's parents house which he recently inherited, but cannot sell, means it looks like when my carer's benefit expires I will have no income whatsoever but must continue caring for my Dad, so cannot work.

If someone who understands means testing for couples might confirm that I haven't misunderstood something vital?

My husband inherited his father's house in the UK last year. Our principal house shared house is here in Cork. He has to keep the house in the UK, because we are deputies for his mother and he travels over to visit her once a month in her care home, staying at the house. So it's costing us loads, does not belong in any way to me, but under the means test capital sums, it would equate to more than carer's allowance per week because he is also a member of our household here in Cork. Am I right in that? It does seem very unfair... so my only option is attempt to get self employed income at the same time as caring?

Thank you anyone who understands the means test for couples for any info.

Imogen

 

[imogen]

Well this is what I found out so far. For carer's allowance the operational guidelines are here, linked on the left side of the page:
http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Carers-Allowance.aspx

This states that for married couples (but is unclear does it mean where the spouse is the person being cared for?)
Assessment of Means of a Married/in a civil partnership /co-habiting Carer
Where the claimant or spouse/civil partner/cohabitant have reckonable earnings the figure to be taken is the gross pay (i.e. including overtime, bonuses etc.)where the income of a carer and his/her spouse/civil partner/cohabitant is being assessed under the means test the first 665.00 of gross weekly income is disregarded i.e. is not taken into account.--

You can find an estimate of how capital is turned into "weekly means" for couples here:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...payments/assessing_the_means_of_a_couple.html

My husband is an OAP which is not a means tested benefit, so I think that I will be assessed on 50% of our "weekly means". Intreo told me to put the application in anyway. I did find this: which says "Property must be capable of being sold, let or put to profitable use before a capital value assessment is applied." Since we have to keep the UK house for my husband to visit his elderly mother under our duties as her legal deputies, perhaps they will have some leeway there...

 

[Bronte]

I don't see why he has to keep the house? He can stay in a hotel? I see nothing there in your posts that prevents the sale of the asset. You said he goes there 12 times a year. But an empty house costs money in heating, insurance etc. Would it actually not be better to sell it?

What does being deputy mean?