Dear Listener

How can a major national newspaper get a story so wrong?

SPITFIRE ACE FORCED TO SELL HIS HOUSE TO PAY CARE HOME FEES is today’s page 5 headline in the Daily Express. Although his relatives have had ‘legal advice’ that is the case I can tell you it is not true.

First, 88-year-old John Mejor has a 94-year-old wife and she continues to live in their home. As long as she does its value will be ignored completely and most of his fees will be paid by the local council. That will also be true after she dies if a relative aged 60 or more lives there or, at the local council’s discretion, if a younger person who has been caring for him or her does so. So Mr Mejor will not be ‘forced to sell his house to pay for care home fees.’

But even if Mr Mejor had no wife and the house was empty he would never ever ever be ‘forced to sell his house to pay for care home fees.’ For two reasons. First, most councils in England follow the rules set down by the Government that even if someone has an empty house the council should continue to pay the full cost of the care. The share of the cost owed by the resident – which can be all of it – is added up week by week – though while they are alive no interest is charged on the debt. The council takes what is called a ‘charge’ against the value of the home so that when the resident dies the empty house is sold and the proceeds are used to pay the council what is owed.

Even in the minority of council areas where the council is mean enough not to have implemented this scheme (despite being told by the Government again last year that they should do so) a similar arrangement can be forced on them. That is because the council has a legal duty to care for the resident. So if he or she simply refuses to pay the bill, the debt accrues (again interest free) and all the council can do is take a charge against the home and claim back what is owed after the resident’s death when the estate is settled.

Many councils fail to explain these complex options to people leaving them anxious and confused. And that confusion is only added to when a major national newspaper fails to set the rules out accurately for their readers.

That will be just one of our stories…

…IN MONEY BOX THIS SATURDAY

Another will respond to many listeners who have e-mailed us about credit reference agencies. Hear me go online to check my own credit report, find out what is in these reports, how errors can be corrected, and how a poor score can be improved. And find out my credit score.

Listeners have also raised the poor rates of interest paid on cash ISAs. In the past cash ISA rates were as good as or better than non-ISA savings accounts. Now they seem to be worse. Are the banks in effect helping themselves to some of our tax relief?

The catastrophe in Haiti has meant many people are giving money to the Red Cross, Disasters Emergency Committee, Oxfam and other charities. But some donations are being rejected as fraudulent. Why?

Are you due a share of £50 million? We promised this item last week. This week it really will happen – probably.

Find out if it does by listening to Money Box – Saturday at noon, repeated Sunday at 9pm, and on the website www.bbc.co.uk/moneybox at any time. There you can also read stuff, watch videos, follow up items, download transcripts and documents, and send us stories or ideas you want us to look into. And of course Have Your Say on credit reference agencies.

Best wishes,

Paul

PS Don’t forget the programme preview on Breakfast BBC 1 soon after 0845 on Saturday.

e-mail Paul Lewis