Social Workers are still up to their old tricks.

Sing Along Grease!

It was on in Lichfield.
I noticed there were 3 hen parties there and the majority of the audience were women.
I thought it was a good fun night out.

Frank

'Sing Along Greece' I must have missed that one.

Hi absent

I saw the Social Workers at the theatre. I was not with them.
I don't think they would want me with them as I have spoilt theit plot to get 2 houses.

Frank

I am amazed a how small the social circle in Birmingham seems to be.

Hi nightowl

The Social Workers were one's which dealt with elderly adults and probably they should have been out trying to snatch houses which are owned by the relatives of the Service Users.
I know Elderly Adults is a different section.

Frank

Hi Bluebell

The play was Sing Along Greece. Several of the ladies were dressed in Pink Ladies Jackets including the Social Workers ( more expense as they must have purchased or hired the jackets).
I also noticed they drove away in a 12 registration BMW after which is a lot more expensive car than mine.
I do have to admit I have owned equivalent cars in the past but do not see the point now as I am generally in the car on my own.

Frank

Your last comment has encouraged me to see you in a new light Frank - perhaps you aren't quite what you seem! What as the play by the way ?

I'm shocked that you saw social workers in a theatre Frank! I think you should report them. Why aren't they out in the community doing good? Or snatching children or something useful

Frank - you really are a wind-up merchant, coming out with nonsense like that

Well gracesmum the along with my comment was supposed to indicate irony/sarcasm too!

I have just been to a theatre and recognised 2 social workers there.
Surely responsble people like them should not spend money on theatre visits in case it is needed for their care.

Frank

Oh dear is of course what I meant!

Oh fear janeainsworth - the along with my comment was meant to indicate heavy sarcasm.
I have been out for the rest of the day and am surprised anybody took me literally!

Hi Bluebell

Unfortunately when I married my late wife I did not forsee her passing away before my father.
I got early retirement in London over 8 years ago and did not want to stay there.
Dad was living in a big house on his own and I had inherited Mum's half and knew I had the right to live there.
Dad and I discussed the situation and we decided that it was best that I went to live with him as we did not want the expense and work of 2 houses.
As it happened I did some caring for Dad and I was having to do more and more but hapily it never got to a point when he had to go in to care.
When I moved in we did not even consider the possibility he might have to go in to care.

If he had gone in to care and the house had to be sold and the proceeds divided it would have been unfair on me as I had paid for the house to be rewired, a new bathroom, kitchen, porch, decorating, new beds, utility room, roof repairs, new 3 piece suite, and fitted wardrobes from the proceeds of the sale of my house.
I also paid his private insurance and for cars.
All this happened in 8 years.
I do think in the cases I have previously mentioned if the parent had not had their retired son / daughter living in the same house the parent would have been in care a lot earlier.

Frank

Perhaps we could re-name this thread to better describe exactly who is getting up to their old tricks?

I know - that's the problem with all these rules - there is always a way round for those who want it and that means others pay more or have less good services. When I worked in CAB I did get one or two awful cases of deliberate deprivation led by grown-up children - in one case, a son had persuaded his mother to sell up, put the money into his and his wife's new home (without her name on the deeds) and by the time she came into us for advice, they were making her life a living hell to get her out into a home ( and, of course, not offering to pay anything as all the money was tied up in 'their' house) Another case involved a messy divorce of a son and DIL with the mother unprotected. I know I only saw the awful cases which involved the parent giving up all their home but it did happen. I just can't see a way to make any of this fair because if you decide to use the income tax or inheritance tax system, then there are people who get round that as well.

Hi Mishap

You may have been annoyed if my father had gone in to care as I inherited a half share of my parents £500,000 house and my father only had about £12,000 in cash at the end of his life.
He had spent his money on things like cars, holidays and private health.
As you know Social Services could not get any of the house as I was an occupier.

Frank

Deliberate deprivation of capital does undoubtedly happen - I remember very clearly a couple who lived in a castle, no less, with a huntin', shootin' and fishin' lfestyle and a string of horses. After I explained the financial rules for care at home to them I paid a second visit to fill in the paperwork and - would you believe? - they had not a penny to their names. I did venture to ask how they paid their Tesco bill!

They left the area eventually and they rang me up to say "I bet you are glad to be rid of us!!"

I felt that it was a matter between them and their consciences - there was nothing I could do. But it did stick in the throat when I saw familes truly in need of help struggling.

Hi ninathenana

You are right.
In the cases I have described they had all been offspring in their 50's and one parent has passed away and left their half of the house to their son / daughter.

The son / daughter have lived in or around London in all cases and have got early retirement and they decided to sell their London houses.

As they have been widowed they moved back in to their childhood homes with their parents as half owners and as a consequence aquired the right to remain in these houses.

The parents have then had to go into care but the offspring has just enforced their right to stay in the house and would not let any sale happen.
As the house can not be sold with vacent posession this has made the parents half worthless as nobody will buy half a house with somebody in it.

Age Concern Factsheet 38 clarifies this.

Frank

If there is someone living in the house over the age of 60 the house is disregarded for funding.

Hi Bluebell

It is difficult to draw the line on where deliberate deprivation of assetts has happened.
In one of the cases I has mentioned the daughter had joined the mother in her house about 18 months before the mother went in to care after being widowed to care for her mother.
The mother was disabled but at the time she joined her there was no sign of dementia.
The social worker did try to say the daughter should have seen care was on the cards at that point but the daughter did not agree. As it happened the mother got NHS funding and the daughter inherited the house.
Also a situation which could happen is a son / daughter could join a parent in a house as a half owner occupier to care for the parent not realising the parent would need care in the near future.
Somebody I knew had a water infection in the June and appeared to recover.
They were in care the February after and it turned out to be dementia.

It would not surprise me if at some point in the future if the offspring has been left half a house by one parent and the other parent has to go in to care a law may be passed saying the offspring may have to use some of his house sale money to pay for the parent's care.
This could be difficult however if the parent / offspring has been living together for say 20 years.

Another thing which could happen is there may be a law passed saying none of the parents house can pass to the children before both parents have passed away but this could cause problems.

Frank

Frank - there are lots of places that people can go to get free help and advice re these isues - CABs, Age Concern etc. What seems to have been a particular issue has been the mis-classification of nursing care as social care, and that clearly is wrong. But equally, there are many cases of deliberate deprivation of capital that occur. The proposals that have just come out re funding of long term care still leave the whole savings/house issues as they are - which is in a mess!!

Orca

I am now retired so I do not want to start any group.
What I am finding annoying is how many people are selling houses etc when they are not obliged to do so.
I know there are stacks of cases where people are claiming compensation for payments they have wrongly made.
The problem is even if they get compensation they are unlikely to get the house back which they have sold for example to fund the care as somebody else is likely to occupy it.

Frank

Have ever thought of starting a 'VictimsRus'' group Frank?