Illinois Parent
Member
I'm not sure where I should post this, but here goes:
My mother is currently receives Disability benefits and Widow/Survivor benefits. The question is, what happens when she turns 65? She has asked this of the social security office, to which she has received several, contradictory answers.
An ancillary question is:
She currently owns her home, with a minimal mortgage left, which she is able to pay from a combination of her benefits and renting out a couple rooms to a nephew. Because her health is deteriorating to the point where she really cannot live alone much longer, there is the possibility that either my brother and his family or me and my family would be moving in with her. At that point, there would have to be an addition put on the house, which of course our monies/incomes would cover. At that point, the idea is to transfer the property title into one of our names. The concern here is that if she does then need catastrophic care, like in a long term nursing facility, what happens to the house? We have heard that transfer of the title, if it happens within X amount of years would affect her ability to be covered for nursing care by SSI or Medicaid.
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated, as we dont want to do anything illegal, or even underhanded. But the reality is that my mom could maintain her current health condition for 15 years...or 15 days, and we really would like to know what our options are. Options that are not going to preclude her ability to continue to receive government benefits. My brother and I jointly are able and willing to take care of her for the rest of her life, yet her pride would not allow that. Both she and my father worked all their lives and she believes she is due from the government.
My mother is currently receives Disability benefits and Widow/Survivor benefits. The question is, what happens when she turns 65? She has asked this of the social security office, to which she has received several, contradictory answers.
An ancillary question is:
She currently owns her home, with a minimal mortgage left, which she is able to pay from a combination of her benefits and renting out a couple rooms to a nephew. Because her health is deteriorating to the point where she really cannot live alone much longer, there is the possibility that either my brother and his family or me and my family would be moving in with her. At that point, there would have to be an addition put on the house, which of course our monies/incomes would cover. At that point, the idea is to transfer the property title into one of our names. The concern here is that if she does then need catastrophic care, like in a long term nursing facility, what happens to the house? We have heard that transfer of the title, if it happens within X amount of years would affect her ability to be covered for nursing care by SSI or Medicaid.
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated, as we dont want to do anything illegal, or even underhanded. But the reality is that my mom could maintain her current health condition for 15 years...or 15 days, and we really would like to know what our options are. Options that are not going to preclude her ability to continue to receive government benefits. My brother and I jointly are able and willing to take care of her for the rest of her life, yet her pride would not allow that. Both she and my father worked all their lives and she believes she is due from the government.