We read the recent BBC Business article “Trying to avoid care home fees? Think twice consumers told” with interest.
The BBC article is 100% correct in its assertion that people deliberately trying to deprive capital assets from means testing calculations will find their tactics exposed and, as evidenced by the BBC, it will not work.
However, the article is aimed at people who are not eligible for funded NHS continuing healthcare – in this instance, the best course of action is to seek appropriate expert advice from a reputable financial advisor – it unfortunately did not did not mention in sufficient detail that the NHS will pay for care in full if an individual’s needs are health needs – this is called continuing healthcare
Continuing healthcare funding, also known as CHC funding, is free healthcare provided by the NHS which can be received in any setting outside of hospital including at home, within a hospice or in a care home (either residential or nursing). The package of care is available to people who have significant ongoing healthcare needs, and it covers 100% of care costs.
To be eligible for NHS Continuing healthcare funding, it must be established that your need for care is primarily health related. Additionally, these needs must be assessed as being either complex, intense and unpredictable in their nature or a combination of the same. It should be noted that a person’s health needs – not their diagnosis – determines whether they are eligible for funding so having a certain diagnosis, for example having been diagnosed with Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease or Parkinson’s disease, is not in itself an automatic entitlement to free care.
Importantly, it doesn’t matter what your income is or what savings you have, if you meet the criteria, you are entitled to free NHS CHC funding. NHS continuing healthcare funding is not means tested.
As such, if an individual has significant ongoing health needs, it is crucial to secure their entitlement to continuing health care to avoid the liability of paying for care homes. The issue is that the NHS are increasingly restricting access to the funding and individuals who ought to be eligible are denied continuing healthcare. When faced with this scenario it is crucial to contact a specialist such as the team at Compass Continuing health care to assist you. We are industry experts and have a high success rate in securing funding for our clients in the swiftest possible timeframe.
Contact us today to find out how we can assist. Our FREE, CONFIDENTIAL assessment is available for you to complete online or you can contact a member of our team directly on 0800 008 7777.
Author: Tim Davies LLB
