How to avoid care home fees for your parents ...


Middle-class families are getting clobbered on care home fees because they’re too nice about ‘paying their own way’, despite the possibility of being able to claim free NHS funding, say legal experts.


Currently, people with savings of more than £23,250 have to pay for their own care, but this threshold doesn’t apply if they have more complex care needs.


In these circumstances, the NHS is responsible for 100% of their care costs under a little-known scheme called NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding. Currently only 58,000 people receive it — but experts say at least 100,000 more could be entitled to it.


And with the average cost of a UK nursing home at about £740 a week — almost £40,000 a year — many families struggle needlessly to come up with the cash in a situation where they may be eligible for full funding from the NHS.


Andrew Farley, of specialist care funding solicitors Farley Dwek, which helps families secure NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding, says: “People should remember that financial support for care home fees


ACT NOW!


• The average cost of nursing home fees is £740 per week - that’s £40,000 a year.


• People with complex or severe medical needs should have their care and accommodation fees paid in full by the NHS.


• Payments can be backdated to April 2012.


• This applies to people paying for care in either a care home or their own home.


Lawyer Andrew Farley says:


“One simple call to us could be the difference between paying nothing and paying at least £700 a week in care home fees.”


through the NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding is based on health not wealth. Middle-class families assume they should pay their own way just as they have all their working lives and being too nice is costing them an average of £700 a week in care home fees.


“They automatically think the £23,250 savings threshold is the barrier to receiving financial help with care home fees, but the funding is based on assessments of healthcare needs such as mobility and severity of conditions, not savings or the value of property owned.


“We’re representing hundreds of families, seeking to ensure their entitlement to NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding is being properly assessed, or recovering fees on behalf of those who’ve already unfairly paid for care.


“People often struggle to secure the funding because they’re given short notice by their local NHS to attend a complex funding assessment meeting. It’s important to get professional legal advice in advance of this meeting to give your family the best chance of securing funding.”


Peter Shaw is a retired teacher from Pickering in North Yorkshire. He used Farley Dwek to recover £44,000 of


care home fees through NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding:


“Farley Dwek were exceptional and explained the process of recovering these care home fees every step of the way. It was a stress-free experience and the fact the service was provided on a no win, no fee basis meant I could proceed with peace of mind and avoid running up expensive legal bills.


“Farley Dwek is doing something unique and has been reassuring and informative throughout the process to gain a result. The company is recovering what’s rightfully yours in a clear, concise and professional way. It’s as far removed from other ‘no win, no fee’ legal services as you can get. It’s a specialist area of law and they know their stuff inside out. If a relative of yours is going into a care home or nursing home, I’d 100% recommend you call Farley Dwek to see if you are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding.”


Could you be losing thousands of pounds?


Take 10 seconds to answer these questions. See if you could be eligible for thousands of pounds from the NHS.


1 2


Do/did you have a relative paying care fees either at home or in a care home?


Do/did they have complex or severe medical needs?


If you answered ‘Yes’ to both these questions, you may be entitled to a rebate from the NHS.


Call Farley Dwek to discuss your circumstances. We’ll tell you if you have a claim and guide you through the process.


Tel. 0800 011 4136 www.farleydwek.com


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