Residential Care Subsidies Handbook, 2nd Edition

This practical book will guide practitioners through the thorny issues that can arise in relation to residential care subsidies. It includes commentary on the following topics:

• thresholds for means testing
• deprivation and gifting
• notional income
• applications by couples and singles, and the effect of death, divorce or separation, and new relationships
• how far back gifting limits go
• life interests
• trust reversals
• residential care loans
• how debts are treated for means testing purposes
• post-application windfalls or inheritances.

The book includes ten question-and-answer chapters (containing more than 140 questions and answers) as well as useful appendices containing relevant legislation and eight practical case studies with worked examples and sample correspondence.

Questions-and-Answer chapters cover:

1. Application for care
2. Cost of care
3. Financial means assessment
4. Gifting and deprivation
5. Spouses and partners
6. Life interests
7. Trust reversals
8. Residential care loans
9. Rights of appeal and reassessment
10. Miscellaneous

Case studies include:

• Undertaking a trust reversal
• Negative trust equity
• Will my mother qualify for a subsidy?
• Succession planning issues to consider before going into care
• Resolving issues regarding recalcitrant trustees
• Disposal of the family home by the trustees
• Advising the MSD of an inheritance
• The Bridgford case