Help, aunt passed and I am worried I did something wrong

ratherpuzzled

Hiya, my aunt was in a Donegal nursing home for years -over 15. We heard the word subvention when she was taken in, dad was resistant - he wanted her to stay at home.
So for ages he collected her pension non contributory and it covered what they demanded for her nursing care (so roughly pension 220 a week and charged 760.90)
I remember the nurse shouting at my dad to sign a form when my aunt went in, he refused saying no way, she needs to get back to her home and you just want to take it off her.
She stayed in the nursing home for a few years then they moved her to another. Finally my aunt died, her home has been on ice.
The solicitor told me she was in under fair deal (I don't know if thats what they wanted dad to sign) and that her pension should have been cut by 80%.
I have collected it for her for the past few years and paid it out as dad always did. Should we years ago have told them to cut it by 80%? I am from the north so haven't a clue about this.
So now I am wondering will the state reclaim her pension for all these years? Why didn't they cut it if they were supposed to, they knew where she was?

conndeal

I am not very familiar with the Fair Deal Scheme. I don't think the person's pension is reduced. They have to pay 80% of their income to cover their care. I assume the payment you were making was the 80%.

ratherpuzzled

What was the precurser to fair deal because I think that is what she was on?

brightspark

When under the fair deal scheme the government calculates the persons income (including a calculation based on the house value for three years and savings over €30,000)

They then pay the nursing home charge, less the 80% of income etc. which the person pays direct to the nursing home.

The income based on the house value is capped at three years, totaling about 23% of the house value and when you sign onto the scheme you can decide to pay it or defer the payment until the house is sold

ratherpuzzled

fair deal only started in 2009

brightspark

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health_services/health_services_for_older_people/nursing_home_subvention.html

brightspark

Apparently in 2009 you could have chosen to remain on the subvention scheme or switch to fair deal.

You need to know what scheme was in use.

ratherpuzzled

She went in under subvention. So it said in the citizens advice that you can choose which scheme so if subvention doesn't take a chunk of the house - I guess thats what would be logical?

splinter65

Hi ratherpuzzled
Your aunts estate won’t be distributed until anything that’s owed to revenue, SW or HSE (fair deal) has been deducted so just wait and see what happens.