Aged Aunt wanting to return to UK, help please.

[Guest David uk]

Hi I have an Aunt (77) who has been in Australia for some 50 years she also has Australian nationality but was born in England, she has now been admitted to a care home with some dementia care (which it appears she needs), She is wanting to return to UK as she has no dependants or family in Australia now.

I would like to know if she can come here and stay in a home I assume she will pay for that from her estate but will she be entitled to NHS care etc here? she has a state pension and a war widows pension from her late husband, can she still receive these in the uk? hope someone can help, and any other info that might be useful would be gratefully received.

 

Thanks

[_shel]

She will be entitled to NHS care once resident but if she needs day to day care that would be different. Although she would entitled she would first need to be resident, ie living in her own place rented, with family or otherwise. She would then have to go through an assessment of her care needs and of what contribution she should be paying, if she will has property etc then it could mean a fair proportion.

 

As a Social Worker in the UK I can tell you these things take a long time. My concern would be how would she care for herself in the period between landing in the UK and being granted a place in a care home which could be months? She could of course completly self fund and choose an independent care home but that would be very expensive and if she has dementia she would need assistance to set it up.

 

No idea about her Aus pensions but she may be entitled to a small UK pension if she ever worked in the UK or hubby did, if not there are also pension credits.

 

This organisation has lots of info for UK pensioners but some of the benefits require her to 'pass' the habitual residence test first. Age Concern is now Age UK | Home

[tonyman]

isnt it a shame that oap`s have to worry about what happens to them , the same with pensioners , why should they have to worry ? they have worked most of their life and contributed to the system regardless off what country they are in ....but when it comes to this situation ,who wants to know ? there should be more help for pensioners , they are not just old people , they are our mums and dads ! I for one have lots of respect for the aged and always say hello to them as i pass them , just to give them that confidence ....the elderly usually smile as you pass them so a little smile back with a hello goes a long ,long way ..................:wubclub: