Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1117. To ask the Minister for Health if the nursing home support scheme will take a property into account (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54931/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Participants in the Nursing Homes Support Scheme contribute a proportion of their income and the value of their assets towards their cost of care. Couples are assessed jointly but the value of their assets and income that is assessed is halved: participants contribute up to 80% of their income (40% if part of a couple) and 7.5% per annum of the value of their assets (3.75% if part of a couple). The first €36,000 in assets (€72,000 if part of a couple) is excluded from assessment.

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act (2009) defines a couple as two persons married to each other or cohabiting - inclusive of same-sex or opposite-sex couples - for a period of 3 years or more.

Participants in the scheme who own property/land-based assets in the State also have access to Ancillary State Support, or the Nursing Home Loan, which is an optional feature of the Fair Deal Scheme. It is a loan advanced by the HSE to help people meet the portion of their contribution to the cost of care that is based on property/land-based assets, most typically against the personal residence. If an individual secures Ancillary State Support, they will not need to contribute against the value of the relevant property during their time on the scheme, unless the property is sold during that time.

It should be noted that the capital value of an individual’s principal private residence is only included in the financial assessment for the first three years of their time in care. This is known as the three-year cap, which is intended to protect the value of a principal private residence.

Last year, the Department of Health introduced the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Amendment) Act 2021, which became operational in October 2021. This introduced a three-year cap on contributions from family farm and business assets, provided that a family successor is appointed to run the asset for at least 6 years. The Act also extended the three-year cap to the proceeds of sale of a principal residence, which means that, from the fourth year in care onwards and provided the house was sold while the person is in care, a nursing home resident may sell their principal private residence without incurring additional costs.