Latest News

15-December-2016 The elderly are paying lawyers to draw up legal documents that specify they would rather die than have inflated care home fees use up their children’s inheritance. According to a leading law firm, the soaring cost of care is driving many middle-aged couples to make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), recording their wish […]

13-December-2016 Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission Andrea Sutcliffe says that almost a third of services are failing what she calls the ‘mum’ test. The Care Quality Commission is an independent organisation that regulates the provision of health and social care in England. The Commission inspects care providers to ensure […]

12-December-2016 Around a quarter of care home residents are now funded in part by ‘top up’ fees because Local Authorities are not paying care homes enough to cover the full cost of care, it has been reported. These additional payments ought to be charged when someone opts for a more expensive home than the Council […]

8-December-2016 Landlords are setting themselves up as limited companies to avoid the government’s new buy-to-let rules that come into force next April. Approximately 11 per cent of the UK’s landlords have established themselves as a limited company in order to pay the lower tax rate on their buy-to-let profits. A further 25 per cent of […]

23-November-2016 Homeowners whose property is in an area at risk of flooding are being denied insurance because their properties have been recorded incorrectly by the same scheme designed to help them. Approximately 350,000 homes could benefit from the Flood Re scheme which was launched in April and backed by the UK Government. The scheme raises […]

18-November-2016 Dementia is now the number one cause of death in England and Wales, overtaking heart disease. 11.6% of deaths now result from the condition – compared with 11.5% for heart disease, according to official figures. Although the detection rate has risen, there is still no cure at this time. The ageing population and rising […]

16-November-2016 A recent report published by the Continuing Healthcare Alliance – ‘Continuing to Care?’ – has criticised how the NHS allocates Continuing Healthcare Funding (CHC). The Alliance – comprising of 13 charities that include the Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK and Parkinson’s UK – has condemned the NHS for subjecting the elderly and sick to a […]

14-November-2016 Soaring rents and falling mortgage payments have meant that it is cheaper to buy a home than to rent one in 13% of the UK, according to Experian. Over the past year, rents have risen across 217 districts, but mortgage payments have fallen in 248. Experian found that in 51 of the 372 Local […]

10-November-2016 With house prices soaring in some areas of the country and some 250,000 homes costing £1 million or more according to Lloyds Bank, first time buyers are facing an ever increasing struggle to get a foot on the housing ladder. The Government’s mortgage guarantee scheme is due to end next month, another blow to […]

11-November-2016 Families who are in rented accommodation could be allowed to buy their homes with a deposit or a mortgage under a new ‘buy as you go’ scheme. The plans from the National Housing Federation are being considered by senior government officials. The Prime Minster Theresa May said housing was a priority as part of […]

10-November-2016 A study by the Imperial College London has revealed that dementia patients are facing unnecessary delays in receiving a diagnosis for dementia at some memory clinics. The delays result from complex and restrictive access criteria to the clinics, according to doctors. Around 850,000 people in Britain suffer from dementia with the number increasing due […]

9-November-2016 An increasing number of lenders and insurers are using online activity, including social media posts and profiles, to help them make judgements about the credit-worthiness of their customers. According to privacy campaigners and credit reference agencies, lenders use algorithms and detailed models to categorise their customers into ‘types’. Fintech Company ‘Big Data Scoring’ helps […]

27-October-2016 A & E units are being swamped by the elderly who are ill due to lack of care, according to a report by the Care Quality Commission. The Report, ‘State of Care’, has found that the combination of the growing ageing population, people with more long-term conditions and a difficult economic climate has meant […]

25-October-2016 A shocking report published by Age UK – ‘Behind the headlines: ‘Stuck in the middle – self funders in care homes’ – has revealed that those paying for their own residential care are subsidising other residents funded by the Local Authority – by at least £200 a week. This ‘stealth tax’ adds up to […]

16-October-2016 Complaints about funding under a little-known NHS scheme called Continuing Healthcare (CHC) have almost doubled over the last five years, according to figures obtained by the Sunday Times from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The figures show that families are facing an increasingly complex and drawn out battle to secure care fees funding […]

5-October-2016 The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has announced new lending rules that are to be applied to Buy to Let landlords. The Authority is the arm of the Bank that regulates banks and the financial sector. The rules come after a review of the buy-to-let market in 2015/2016. The intention behind the rules is to […]

4-October-2016 A 90 year old woman with dementia has received a cheque for £94,000 to cover the cost of her care after her son fought a two year battle with the NHS. Vicki Keiller lives in a care home near Cambridge. Her son Don, who is 60, has been battling with the NHS for the […]

23-September-2016 Probate fraudsters have been cold calling people to tell them they are due an inheritance from a long lost relative’s estate – then charging thousands in fees and inflated expenses. The rogue companies are cashing in on the popularity of the BBC One TV show ‘Heir Hunters’ which follows genuine probate researchers in tracking […]

7-September-2016 What lies ahead Low mortgage interest rates and a raft of Government schemes have made getting a foot on the housing ladder easier for first time buyers in recent times. However, since Britain voted to leave the EU in June’s referendum, there are signs that the tide could be turning. Fewer deals available The […]

5-September-2016 The growth in popularity of index trackers became more evident last week with the announcement from wealth manager Hargreaves Lansdown that some would be included in its Wealth 150+ list. The Wealth 150+ list contains the top funds that Hargreaves believes offer the best combination of first class performance and low management charges. Historically […]