3,000 victims of home snatchers: Record numbers of the elderly are forced to sell their homes to pay for care

By
Daniel Martin
Last updated at 12:15 AM on 18th December 2009

Scandal: A third of all those paying the cost of their care end up without their house
The scale of Labour’s betrayal of pensioners was laid bare tonight as it emerged that every year at least 3,000 elderly people are forced to sell their homes to pay for residential care.The scandal of Britain’s crumbling care system has reached such proportions that a third of all those paying the cost of their care end up without their house.Critics say it is appalling that, after more than a decade of Labour promises, a record number of people who have saved all their lives are still having to put their houses up for sale, while those who have squandered their money get free care.Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb, who uncovered the figures, said: ‘This Government’s treatment of older people is its shameful legacy.‘Ministers have turned their backs on thousands of older people who are forced to sell their homes each year to pay for the costs of care.‘We need a complete overhaul of the current unfair system so that people’s homes are no longer considered fair game to cover care bills.‘Whoever wins the next election cannot avoid the fact that we’re facing a crisis in funding for care. What we need is a long-term solution where the state pays its fair share and individuals are encouraged to save for later life.’As part of its Dignity for the Elderly campaign, the Daily Mail has been highlighting the scandal of hard-working elderly people being forced to sell their homes to pay for care despite having paid taxes all their lives.Present rules state that those with assets of  more than £23,500 – including their property – must contribute to the cost of residential care if they need it in their later years. It means thousands have to sell up.
But for those whose assets are less than this, the council will stump up the full cost of care.For 12 years, Labour has been promising to tackle the issue. At his party’s conference in 1997, Tony Blair said: ‘I don’t want a country where the only way pensioners can get long-term care is by selling their home.’But the new figures, compiled by the House of Commons library for Mr Lamb based on surveys by healthcare analysts Laing & Buisson, show that the problem is worse than ever.As of April 2009, there were 380,000 people in care homes, of whom 48,000 had been forced to sell their homes to pay their costs. This is 23 per cent higher than the 39,000 sellers in April 2005. Last year the figure was 45,000.
‘Shameful legacy’: Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb uncovered the figuresThe rise of 3,000 over the last year represents at least eight people a
day or 57 a week. However the number who sold up in 2009 is bound to be
even higher than 3,000 because some of the 45,000 from the previous
year will have died.Of the other residents of care homes in 2009, 107,000 had to contribute towards care costs but did not have to sell their home, and 223,000 got their care completely free.The figures show that the number forced to contribute towards the cost of care has been rising in recent years: up 21 per cent from 128,000 in 2005 to 155,000 this year.It means that in April 2009, almost a third of all those asked to contribute actually had to sell up completely.Andrew Harrop, policy director of Age Concern, said: ‘Selling homes to pay for care is just one of the many problems of our crumbling care system.’We need comprehensive reforms that improve the funding of the system and the quality of care provided for all those who need it.‘While the number of people selling their homes to pay for their care is increasing, people should also be aware that there may be other options available to them.All local authorities should offer deferred payment schemes to enable older people to stay in their homes.’Next year, the annual average cost of residential care will be £26,000. Both major parties have proposed reforms to help fund residential care.Health Secretary Andy Burnham unveiled a Green Paper which proposed people pay £20,000 to join an insurance scheme to meet the costs of their personal care, whether in their own house or in a care home.
Unfair system: Old people’s houses are currently considered fair game to cover care billsThe Tories hit back with an £8,000 insurance scheme. However this would pay only for residential care and would not allow people to stay in their own house with helpers. The Liberal Democrats want an all-party commission to work out an independent solution for the future of personal care.Care services minister Phil Hope said: ‘Schemes are already in place to help people avoid having to sell their homes in their lifetime to pay for residential care.‘But we don’t find it acceptable that people have to run down their life savings to pay for care. That is why we are overhauling the system and creating a National Care Service, which will offer a simpler, fairer and more affordable system for everyone. More detailed plans will be set out early in the New Year.’’Mum paid taxes all her life. She’d be heartbroken’Grandmother Annie Kennedy had to go into a care home two years ago after developing Alzheimer’s.But no sooner had the former greengrocer from Margate moved in than her daughter was landed with a huge bill from Kent County Council.Pauline Turner was told that because her 87-year-old mother had assets of more than £23,500, she would have to meet the £1,424.76 per month cost in full.Her mother had little cash which meant she would have to sell her home. The bungalow went on the market for £175,000 but because of the recession the family had to accept £140,000.
Hard workers: Annie and Douglas Kennedy
Straight away, £10,000 in arrears had to be handed to the council. To add insult to injury, Mrs Kennedy’s pension credit of £50 a week was stopped because she now had money from the sale of her house.Last night Mrs Turner, a 65-year-old pregnancy and post-abortion counsellor, said she was being ‘harassed’ by council officials making sure she was not spending the money raised from her mother’s house, and threatening legal action if she did.
Daughter: Pauline Turner said she was being ‘harassed’ by council officials
‘Mum was a bright lady who had worked hard all her life,’ she said. ‘She used to do voluntary work at the very care home where she is now, doing bingo and things.‘What has happened had left me spitting bullets. If she knew she had had to sell her home and was unable to leave an inheritance, she would be heartbroken.’ Mrs Kennedy’s husband Douglas died ten years ago. She has two grandsons and two great-grandchildren.Mrs Turner said: ‘Mum and Dad worked hard all their lives and went without in order to buy their own home, which in those days was very hard to do.‘I would love to sit down with Andy Burnham so he can explain to me why this is happening, because I have written to him and never got a satisfactory answer.’She said the state had created an ‘appalling boundary’ where nursing care is free but social care is means tested ‘at the equivalent of a 100 per cent tax rate’.‘It seems that NHS managers have a vested interest in offloading patients into social care to make things cheaper,’ she said.‘Why should those of us who have paid tax and national insurance all our lives be treated like this?’

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No second home allowances for them then.
- Mark, London, UK, 18/12/2009 07:59

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This really gets my pip….its is a disgrace that people who work hard and buy their own homes so they are not a burden on society end up having to sell in order to pay for care in their old age, whereas those lucky social housing people, can get it all free.
A lot of people forced into selling their homes have worked all their lives and paid more than enough in tax and national insurance contributions to cover their care in old age, whereas the ones on benefits won’t have contributed a penny, and please don’t get me started on all the immigrants who will no doubt get it all free as well.
Perhaps the answer is, when you retire sell up, go on a few world cruises and spend it all, then when you come back, plead poverty and get nice little retirement flat somewhere paid for by the government….sorted!
This unfair system needs changing and i’d even consider voting for “call me Dave” if he changed the system.
- AA, Somerset, 18/12/2009 07:54

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Of course this is central to Liebour policy and we all know it. They need a feckless underclass to stay in power.
They have zero interest in honest hard working people who save and who are responsible enough to provide for themselves in their old age. The only people Liebour wants to please are benefit scroungers and those who would rather booze their earnings away every night. That way, these wastrels who end up with no money can then stand in line for Government handouts and become willing voters for Liebour in its client state.
Liebour have this system perfected to an art form - don’t you just love them?
- JohnW, Manchester, 18/12/2009 07:54

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The cost of one hip replacement is the same cost of the money you have paid into the NHS. The county can’t afford to keep paying out. Its hard but thats life!
- Fred, London, 18/12/2009 07:53

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It’s a disgrace that slack jaw can give away billions and there are people who have worked hard all their life selling houses to pay for care. We will be out of this country as soon as we have enough money. But as slack jaw is taxing my husband to the hilt, then we will be stuck in this dump for a long time.
- michelle, Cynical of bucks, 18/12/2009 07:52

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If they make provision and give the house legally to their children years before they need care, then they spend all their life savings (£35,000) on nursing home care and then have the audacity to ask for help when their life savings are gone, social services get involved, demand the return of the property and when that is refused they send in the police on suspicion of it being stolen.
Sounds unbelieveable, well it is true, it happened to us….. Just in case you ever doubted we are living in a police state!
Thank god for a good old fashioned Solicitor who would not be bullied.
- Ray & Alison, derbyshire, 18/12/2009 07:52

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