Residential Care Subsidies are processed through Work and Income at Whangarei and applications are assigned a case manager. Our experience is that case managers are without exception courteous and helpful; however the financial means assessment forms can prove complicated and time-consuming to complete. Financial information provided with the form must be complete and comprehensive. Family Trusts are carefully scrutinised.

If you have a Family Trust, you need to have completed your gifting programme five years prior to lodging your application to ensure that your gifting is not treated as your personal asset. For a couple gifting to a Family Trust, only the gifting of the person going into care is allowable gifting, unless the couple have separated.

As from 1 July 2017, the asset threshold for eligibility for a subsidy increased to $224,654.00 for single people or a couple where both are in care. For a couple where only one person is in care, they can choose an alternative threshold of $123,025.00 from 1 July 2017 excluding the family home, car and a pre-paid funeral of up to $10,000.00.

The thresholds are reviewed on 1 July each year.

Many people requiring rest home care are unable to complete the forms themselves. Both the applicant and his or her spouse or partner must detail all assets, income and debts. We can assist in advising on eligibility for a subsidy and then completing the financial means assessment forms. We also have a dedicated gifting co-ordinator to ensure that annual gifting to your Trust is not overlooked.