Would you sell your house & downsize to help your sibling?

I’m surprised at all the advice to ask the sibling to move in with the OP. I would really struggle with that. I value my privacy and find having people in my personal space very stressful. A sibling for a day or two would be as much as I could bear before feeling resentful.

No! Just no! Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, seen the film - and the sequel. And it's still NO!

I agree with other posters - their local authorities should be approached for help.

Please, please - NO!

No, I wouldn't sell up. Can't your sibling stay with you or rent somewhere for now?

Mary, you sound like a very caring person. Is your sibling asking you to sell your house to help them? If so then he/she is taking advantage of your caring nature. Offer a temporary stay with you until they’re back on their feet, but don’t sell your home. You say you don’t have any money to spare so there may come a time when you’ll need to downsize to free up some cash for yourself. There may not be work in there field but there are other jobs out there. Many people can’t find employment in their field and have to be content with what’s available to them. I hope your sibling finds a solution to their problem but that’s exactly what it is. Their problem not yours. ?

No. Your sibling should approach the council for rehoming, and the dwp to claim benefits. Also they could consult with charities line CAB, Age UK, Carers organisations, Shelter etc or whatever the Scottish equivalents are. They should also consider sitting tight in the bungalow until evicted whichbwill make them homeless rather than "intentionally homeless".

As an absolute last resort, send them the train fare to live with you - spunds like they have no jobs so could relocate.

I do know people who have looked after relatives in return for a roof over their heads and the promise of inheriting the property , only to find that it has to be sold to cover debts, or has to be shared with other family members.
The whole business sounds very dubious, and I think the OP would be very foolish to contemplate selling her house, her only asset, to provide for her sibling, who appears to have no assets, no income and no job prospects.
How will it provide her pension if she is living in it?

Who was it signed over to and was it done thro solicitor or poa?
Do not sell your house and sit money. You never know how it’ll pan out they might separate or worse leave it to an unrelated offspring.

what a sad situation for your sibling, are there no jobs in the care industry as they have been a carer (even though the jobs I see in care dont require experience). I do agree with other posters regarding your property.

You didn't say whether you have discussed this with your sibling. I'm guessing as you are undecided that you haven't mentioned it to them. Would they even want you to hand over part of your pension? Personally, in their shoes,
I would find another way, rather than accepting pension money.
Good luck to you and them.

No I wouldn’t

Doodledog, well said.
My friend works within the field of housing and sometimes, the only obligation of councils will be to give advice, unless a person meets certain, very strict criteria.
Sadly a single person with no vulnerabilities isn't top of many lists!
I'd strongly suggest speaking to someone at Shelter re' the housing situation, they are excellent and have a very good helpline.
If your sibling isn't working, surely it would make sense for them to live with you, despite distance?

Could you not offer to rent them a place for 6 months... give them the deposit and maybe 6 months rent to help them get on there feet. I wouldn’t sell if it was me.

No....I wouldnt...because my house is not my pension but it will go to my two kids ...one of which although working hard all his life cannot ever afford to get a ‘foot on the ladder’...I feel for him as half his salary goes in private rent. My daughter is well set up. But my house will go 50/50 to them. Sorry but your sibling and partner can come live with you ....if they’re unemployed where they live wont matter.

Mary, I feel for you! A number of years ago, following a serious stroke, DH decided to "help friends get back on their feet" to the tune of nearly five figures! No agreement about repayment was formalised, though they did make a few payments to him while he was around. I asked what would happen if he died and he told me they wouldn't let me down. Well, they have let me down and I am in a financial mess at least temporarily as they consider their debt was to him alone! Over the past year I have had to face possible homelessness and bankruptcy, but our lovely offspring have come to my rescue!
I'm with DotMH on this. I would advise being very, very cautious in a situation like yours. You need proper advice about your sibling's position - what benefits/help with housing is available; whether they are entitled to carry on living there at least until your relative dies, or if the property needs to be sold to pay legal fees; could your convicted relative appeal on health grounds that a prison sentence is inappropriate; whether any agreement was properly set up and witnessed etc etc. Selling your property to rehome your sibling in this sort of situation has far too many pitfalls for the ordinary person to negotiate and you yourself could end up penniless and homeless.
Best wishes, and please be careful

You say your brother is hundreds of miles away, but he doesn’t seem to have any ties. If your brother has no job, and no prospect of one where he lives, why can’t he come and stay with you for a while?

Your house is all you have, he’s lost his home and savings. Don’t let the same happen to you.

Also, if councils are still legally obliged to house people, as a number of posters have suggested, why is there such a problem with street sleepers and homelessness? I am not sure that there is still an obligation now that council houses have been sold.

So what is going to change in the future? If the bungalow has been left to another party, are there other assets to go to your sibling, or have these been seized as proceeds of crime?

To be honest, I wouldn’t want my own money getting mixed up with any of this, although I wouldn’t see either of my siblings on the streets.

I.agree with most, help them.with advice and go.to council local.housing.authorities if.they are going.to.be homeless the council is duty bound to find them somewhere to live. Whilst this.is.happening get.them ti can and claim.what they are.entitled. and.finally when they are a.little.more secure I would.defnately get.them to look into challenging the will, if they are.on benefits I.am sure they would.get legal.aid with advice for.this.

I.wish them.well, but feel.you.should keep your house, your.pension, you may want.to downsize later to free.up capital for.your.own retirement.xx

That could be.
It all sounds rather strange.

No but an aunt did. She moved into a small bed,1 sitting room annexe to the house next door and gave her house to her brother and sister in law (my PIL) also leaving it to them in her will.
She had leukaemia and my FIL had had a ruptured aortic aneurysms from which he was lucky to recover. They moved down from Scotland and cared for her until she died the following year. She had no children and was very close to her brother. A sad situation but one which benefited everyone all round.

Callistemon I get the impression that house was not the sick relative's house to leave to anyone in a will. I wonder whether the house had actually been sold to one of those companies that pay a very low price for the house and then lease it back to the occupier to continue living in for 30 years. I have met people, usually ones not good with money, who have entered such agreements to get their hands on money to meet mortgage arrears, without losing their home.

Elegran
My thoughts too, but then I realised that I do know people whose lives lurch from one drama to another!

No I would not. I would offer them a home though. Yes they would have to move but it's practical help and gets them out of a difficult situation.

Speaking from experience please don't do it. Things can change very rapidly . We did this for our son he met his partner and she took a dislike to everyone in his family and he doesn't speak to again now they make our life a misery

No.