Acting for Older Clients - 2024 Virtual Conference

Introduction

Chaired by Caroline Bielanska, this live broadcast conference with a panel of leading experts offers a comprehensive update as to the current hot topics in this fast-moving area.

Each session will provide a full opportunity for questions and answers.

Conference Agenda

This live and interactive 5 hour conference will cover the following:

10am-11am: Lasting Powers of Attorney: The New Regime

Chair: Caroline Bielanska

Within this session, we will discuss the following:

• Donor ID requirements
• Out of office process
• In office process
• Acting as the witness and certificate provider
• Evidence of registration

Morning Break

11:10am-12:10pm: Care Funding Update 2024: Topics & Tensions

Cate Searle, Martin Searle Solicitors

This session will focus upon the current topics and tensions in securing funding from health and/or social services for our clients with long term care and support needs. Using case studies, Cate will cover the following:

• NHS Continuing Healthcare: ten top tips to secure or retain fully funded NHS CHC for our clients
• Social care means-tested funding: common errors made by our clients and by local authorities
• Top up payments in care home placements: need or preference?
• Securing adequate funding for a package of care at home
• The latest on deprivation of assets

12:10pm-1:10pm: Accessing Help with Housing Costs for Older People

Jayne Knights, Renaissance Legal

This session focuses on the different benefits which offer help with housing costs. We will discuss housing benefit for older people who are tenants; pension credit for owner-occupiers’ service charges; and claiming help with mortgage interest via the Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme. We will also visit the vexing area of council tax.

This area can be a minefield of complication and misadvise, and those in the 66+ age group are most likely to be the ones who are underclaiming - even though the help available is twice as generous as for working-age people.

This session will supply you with vital updating information, including:

• Housing Benefit as a private sector or social housing tenant, including changes to the Local Housing Allowance for private sector tenants (the good news and the bad); the effect of living with lodgers or non-dependants; and how Guarantee Credit and Housing Benefit interact, including when your client has savings
• Housing Benefit and service charges - what is ‘eligible’ for HB help and what is not?
• Owner-occupiers and leasehold charges - what will Guarantee Credit cover?
• Owner-occupiers and mortgage interest - how can older people access help?
• Help with Council Tax - discounts, exemptions, and means-tested support, with homage to Martin Lewis

Break for lunch

2-3pm: Older Clients - Case Law Update

Tim Spencer-Lane

An overview of recent case law and law reform developments concerning older clients. Areas covered will include:

• Relevant case law on the Mental Capacity Act
• Update on the new Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice
• Deprivation of Liberty

Afternoon break

3:15-4:15pm: Raising Concerns About Lasting Powers

Caroline Bielanska

Within this session, we will discuss the following:

• Who can raise a concern
• How and when to raise a concern
• Post registration concerns
• OPG investigations
• Court approach to removal of an attorney

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.