The Government has approved a proposal to change the treatment of farms and businesses under the Nursing Home Support Scheme, also known as the Fair Deal.
A review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, published in 2015, committed to reviewing how productive assets are treated under the scheme. The Programme for a Partnership Government committed to remove discrimination against small business and family farms under the scheme.
People using the scheme contribute up to 80% of their income and up to 7.5% of the value of any assets held towards their cost of care. The value of a person’s home is only included in the financial assessment for the first three years of their time in a care.
This three year cap has now been extended to farms and businesses where a family successor continues to operate the farm or business for six years.
The Minister of State with special responsibility for Mental Health and Older People, Mr Jim Daly said “I am very pleased the government has approved the proposed changes to the scheme, this move will remove a great deal of stress and worry from the affected families and allow them to plan for the future. It will allow them to continue to run the family business without the fear of losing it. I look forward to progressing the matter in the Oireachtas in the autumn session. ”
The Department of Health is now drafting the general scheme of a Bill to provide for the necessary changes to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009.
