Our Blog
Care Home Fees soar
Latest figures compiled by charity Age UK indicate that across the country the average weekly residential care home cost was £504 in 2010/11. Five years ago the cost was around £412 per week which means they have risen by more than 31% in five years. Nursing homes...
”I’m protected, I have signed my house over to my children”
How many times has that been said when people are asked to write a Will? Those who have taken such action have often failed to consider some of the possible consequences of this action. For example what happens if the child/children become involved in marital...
Penalised for Thrift
A report in the Sunday Times on the 27th March highlights the fact that privately funded care home residents are being unfairly penalised in the current economic climate because Councils are refusing to pay fair rates. This has meant that privately funded residents...
Charity begins at Home
New relief in the Budget The Chancellor outlined a new relief from Inheritance Tax in the Budget last Wednesday. As you probably know bequests or gifts to Charities already fall outside the Inheritance Tax net. The new relief is to be given to those persons who...
£40m rip-off by Banks for Probate work
On 23rd February the Office of Fair Trading said it has calculated that families could save a total of £40m per year by shopping around for cheaper professional executors to wind up the affairs of deceased relatives. High street Banks have now agreed to review their...
The Wealthy are giving it away
According to a recent survey an increasing number of Britons are getting around inheritance tax by handing assets to loved ones before they die. So says the Daily Mail today. According to the report the phenomenon is more prevalent among the wealthy who know they will...
Access Denied
Reports in 'The Mail on Sunday' today indicate that many Banks in the UK do not understand or accept Lasting Powers of Attorney. They also fail to recognise deputies appointed through the Court of Protection. As a result many carers are being denied access to the bank...
New 6 Part BBC series about Writing a Will
'Can't Take It with You' This is just one of the titles of the new 6 part series on BBC Television featuring Gerry Robinson. During the programmes he will be examining the emotional and financial legacies of people considering writing a Will. He will be encouraging...