finance
What to do when you become an accidental landlord
Sometimes you can find yourself the manager of a rental property without meaning to do so. You might be helping out an older relative who is struggling to manage their own tenants. Or you might have a relative who wants to let their home to fund care home fees and needs someone to organise the […]
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The what, who and how of winter fuel/cold weather payments
Update February 2020. Those eligible for cold weather payments should receive them automatically. If you’re not sure, here’s a list of eligibility requirements. Winter Fuel Payments are available to older people in the UK, but what are they, who qualifies, and how do you claim? Winter Fuel Payments (often referred to as winter fuel allowances) […]
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What does the Autumn 2018 budget mean for older people?
We take a quick look at the Autumn 2018 UK budget to see what is likely to affect older friends and family – and what leading charities and commentators made of it. Didn’t budget statements in the UK used to come round just once a year? Or did we imagine that? Either way, a […]
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Tax benefits for older people
Do my ageing parents still have to pay tax? What benefits and schemes are there to help them? When you’re helping relatives and friends to manage their finances as they get older, there are several questions you may want to clear up regarding their finances. Tax professionals Tax Rebate Services offer the following pointers. Attendance […]
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Tips on safely managing money for the less mobile
Handing over a bank card to someone else is a breach of Ts&Cs. So how can those with limited mobility withdraw cash and manage money? Helen Doyle, Head of Policy & Research at the Payments Council, offers some advice. Managing finances can be tricky at the best of times, but imagine finding yourself unable to […]
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How to help your parent find the right buildings and contents insurance
Ashley Shepherd, Managing Director of Over50choices, helps us take a look at the factors your parents should consider when choosing home insurance, providing helpful guides on how to find the right policy to suit their needs. They say your home is your castle, which is probably true when you consider the amount of money we […]
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Saving money on your parents’ energy bills
Latest update for June 2020: For information about how to manage bills and get a better energy deal, visit Citizens Advice. This article has been updated in January 2019. Schemes and prices change all the time. For up-to-date information, it is worth visiting the Money Saving Expert’s website. We’ve searched far and wide to […]
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Care fees funding and deprivation of assets: the rules
Member of Solicitors for the Elderly and Associate with Clarke Willmott LLP Heledd Wyn shares how to protect your parent from the possible pitfalls of a Local Authority investigation and what to do to ensure their financial actions aren’t deemed to be deprivation of assets. If your parent is thinking about making a gift to […]
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Should you be paying care home top-up fees?
Written by Kathy Lawrence If a care home resident is funded by their local authority, then families are allowed to contribute top-up fees to give them more choice in where they live. There are growing claims that local authorities are demanding top-up fees to cover part of the basic care for which the authority is […]
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What is NHS Continuing Healthcare?
Written by Rebecca Lenton As our parent’s get older their healthcare needs can change considerably. With complicated health conditions comes lengthy NHS and local authority assessments that can leave both you and your parent in a state of confusion. It can be difficult to understand how these processes can be of benefit to your parent […]
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