Treatment of your home

Treatment of your home

You may wonder what would happen to your home if you go into a care home.

If you are the owner, even if you have a mortgage on your home, your home is treated as a capital asset unless it’s disregarded. This applies to sole and joint owners.

How your home is valued

• current market value
• minus 10% of the value of the property, to cover the costs of selling
• minus any outstanding debt, like a mortgage

Jointly owned property

Your share will be counted as part of your capital. Each owner is treated as having an equal share unless otherwise shown. Your share is valued on its own. The value could be low or even nothing.

Local councils must assess you as owning only of the value of your share. The only realistic market for a share in a jointly owned property would be amongst the other owner or owners. If the other owner or owners are unwilling to buy your share, or unwilling to sell the whole property, your share could be worth little or nothing.

Read about Property Disregard

Further information

The payment of care home fees is a complex subject and depends on many things which are unique to you.

If you want detailed information or personal advice, you can ask an experienced independent adviser.

Advice Direct Scotland – phone 0808 800 9060, 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Age Scotland who have information on paying for care homes, or phone their helpline on 0800 12 44 222.