Fair Deal Scheme

Under the Fair Deal Scheme you can apply for financial support to help pay for the cost of care in a nursing home through the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, also known as the Fair Deal scheme. The Fair Deal scheme is managed by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

What is Fair Deal

Fair Deal means the state will cover some of your expenses until your death, and then use the value of the property to repay that cost for your care.

What is a Fair Deal Valuation?

If you are considering applying for the HSE’s Nursing Home Support Scheme,/Fair Deal, your application is based on the value your assets including your property. As part of the application, you will need to include a current valuation from a qualified valuer such as DNG Galvin.

Who can apply for the Fair Deal Scheme?

To apply for the Fair Deal Scheme you must be ordinarily resident in Ireland and need long-term nursing home care.

How do you apply ?

There are four steps to the Fair Deal application process:

Step 1: Fill in the application form
Step 2: Care Needs Assessment – When you apply for the scheme, your care needs are assessed to confirm that long-term nursing home care is the most appropriate option for you.
Step 3: Financial Assessment – Your financial situation is also assessed to see how much you will have to contribute towards your nursing home fees. If your contribution is less than the amount of the fees, the HSE will pay the rest. Assets, such as savings and property, are taken into account when assessing your financial situation.. A financial assessment looks at your income and assets in order to work out what your contribution to care will be. A property valuation of your home will be part of this assessment.
Step 4: Apply for a Nursing Home Loan (this step is optional) You can apply for the Nursing Home Loan if you want to defer making the part of your contribution that is based on your home or other property.

How much do you pay towards your care?

After assessing your income and assets, the Financial Assessment will work out how much you pay towards your care.

When you sign up to Fair Deal, you agree to pay 80 per cent of your income and 7.5 per cent of the value of your assets each year towards the cost of care for a maximum of three years. These assets can include:

Your home
The proceeds of the sale of your home
Your farm or business

What does Fair Deal cover?

The Fair Deal covers:

Accommodation and food
Nursing and personal care you may need
Laundry service
Basic aids and appliances necessary to support you with everyday living

What does Fair Deal not cover?

The Fair Deal does not cover:

Short-term care such as respite, convalescent or day-care
Extra fees charged by the nursing home for services like hairdressing, therapies or activities

What happens after three years on the Scheme?

If you exceed the three year limit you will not be required to make any further contributions based on
these assets but all other assets will be taken into consideration.

Does it involve selling your house?

Usually no, the Fair Deal scheme is actually designed to avoid someone having to sell their home to fund their long-term care. Fair Deal means the state will cover some of your expenses until your death, and then use the value of the property to repay that cost for your care.
But that doesn’t prevent you selling the property before then if you wish to, just be aware the state will take this into account and usually lower their contribution towards your care.

Typically, another family member may choose to live in the property if appropriate, or the property is rented out for added income. If neither of those are a suitable option then it is often preferable to sell the property.

Fair Deal Valuations in Co. Cork

At DNG Galvin Auctioneers & Valuers, on inspection for market valuation purposes we keep your home intrusion down to a minimum and give you an estimate of market value quickly. For us, customer satisfaction is our number one priority. Older people living in their homes can feel disturbed or uneasy especially when property valuers arrive to their property. With over 40 years of experience in property valuation, we assure a professional valuation service without creating any fuss or upset to elderly people residing in their homes.

Book your Fair Deal Scheme Property Valuation here

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