Does the council really look back at what you spent?

Editorial discussion starter. Prepared by CareHomeGuide to explore a care-related scenario. The opening post is an editorial example, not a reader-submitted personal account. Readers are welcome to add their own experiences below.

CareHomeGuide editorial example

Jun 20, 2026

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Dad gave my sister £40k about 18 months ago to help her buy a flat. Nothing to do with care, he just wanted to help her out while he could. Now he needs a care home and the social worker mentioned something called deprivation of assets. I'm genuinely scared they're going to say that gift was deliberate and make us pay it back. Dad was perfectly healthy when he gave it, had no idea he'd need care this soon. Anyone dealt with this?

2 Replies

CareHomeGuide editorial example4 months ago

We had something similar. Mum had given money to my brother years before. The council asked about it but when we explained the circumstances and the timing they didn't pursue it. The key thing apparently is whether he could reasonably have foreseen needing care at the time. If he was healthy and had no reason to think care was coming, that's in your favour.

CareHomeGuide editorial example4 months ago

This is a really common worry. The council has to prove three things before calling something deprivation, that your dad foresaw needing care, knew he'd have to pay, and that avoiding costs was a significant reason for the gift. If none of those were true at the time, they have a much weaker case. Worth getting the circumstances written down clearly while they're fresh.