Can I safeguard my house if I have to go into a home?

I don't know, but you obviously need legal advice on this. If you only have one DS, you could make the house over to him, but this is not advisable.

I am pretty sure that once they've lived there for a certain amount of time, it wouldn't have to be sold. This arose when friends of mine moved into an elderly father's house to care for him, and when he eventually moved into a care home, the house was safe.

But yes, do check this out. I know that simply making the house over to family members isn't enough - they have to be dependents or living in the house, or both, for a certain minimum time.

There is only one way to find out and that is to consult a solicitor who specialises in this kind of work. Any large local firm of solicitors will have such a solicitor, but check.

There are so many snake oil salesmen out there, masquerading as legal experts wanting to sell you a scheme that will save your house from being sold when you go into care. None of them work. Use a good solicitor.

Also do bear in mind that if you do succeed in protecting your house from being sold to fund your care, you put yourselves in the hands of Social Services, whose first option will be to keep you at home for as long as possible, regardless of your preferences and if care is inevitable, because the sum they pay for social care is so low, you will end in a residential or nursing home at the bottom end of the market with all that implies. They will also put a lot of emotional and other pressure on your son to contribute to the cost of your care.

See a good expert solicitor and discuss the pros and cons with him.

If you go to the AgeUK website you can email a question free of charge.

It may be that it would be considered depravation of assets.

Let us know what you find out.

Thanks everyone I'll see what AgeUK say

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Reported

Sound advice, M0nica. Except or course the solicitor might be a 'her'...

of course...drat!

Very probably.