Many have
criticised Fair Deal Nursing Home Scheme on the
grounds of leaving financially vulnerable family members homeless after an aged
applicant’s death. Do you think the Fair Deal Scheme,
which was designed keeping in mind the desperate need for financial support to
cover the cost of long-term nursing home care, would be so harsh on family
members? The blog today explores the same. Read on if you belong to a household
where the eldest member is a beneficiary of the Nursing
Home Support Scheme.
If you rethink
the scheme and its terms and conditions, you will remember the capping on total
contribution over the 3 years term. It’s 11.25% in place of 3.75% for applicants
with spouses wishing to defer the loan repayment until the former’s death. Needless
to say, the scheme thinks in favour of applicants and their family members.
The
question, however, is - will the Fair Deal Scheme
be kind towards a family where the eldest member, who was once an active
applicant, dies leaving behind disabled sons to bear the Nursing Home Support Scheme cost of care? Does this
indicate selling off their ancestral property to acquire funds for clearing out
the dues? To be honest, many have questioned the same and the write-up today
aims to address it.
Firstly, it’s
already stressful for a family to undergo the unfortunate demise of the eldest
family member. The presence of disabled sons or family members adds to the
woes. Naturally, the query is who will pay the 22.5% contribution? Experts believe
it’s not at all mandatory to trade the residential property in exchange for a
hefty sum to meet the dues. There is complete freedom to raise the funds from
other sources. However, in the case of a family, where two of the sons or
members are disabled, meeting the deadline of 12 months is next to impossible. There
is only one way left and that is deferral.
Fair Deal
clearly states that a household can postpone payment if a relative receives a
disability allowance or maybe a non-contributory State pension or visually
impaired pension. Now that you know that the family qualifies for deferral, anyone
from the household has to apply for it in person to the local Nursing Home Loan
Support Office. On acceptance, the unpaid contribution shall no longer fall as
a due, restoring each of the member’s peace of mind.
Final
Thoughts:
In the end,
all we can say is that Fair Deal Nursing Home Scheme
is compassionate towards all its applicants and their family members. Nobody
goes homeless until and unless the applicant wishes to. However, it’s always
better to consult an advisor to best understand the process and take steps
accordingly.
