Who does he think should pay for his financial problems? The taxpayers? While he is sitting on a chunk of money?
Before you count me as an unsympathetic jerk (ok, I might be) I am also a single father of 3 little girls who lost their mother in a car accident.
In our state, this wouldn’t be the case.
The spouse could keep close to 100,000 dollars in liquid assets (her 401K could be cashed in and transferred into his name), plus the car and house (her name must be off the title) and his wife would still qualify for Medicaid nursing home care. They guy needs to talk to an elder care lawyer, there are also ways of setting up trusts to care for the sick without bankrupting the family. In recent years there has been legislation that allowed more assets to be kept because they found that some folks were “bankrupting” themselves to go into rehab, but then they recovered and when they came out, they had no assets left to live on...thus the laws about the “well” spouse being able to keep liquid assets plus house and car without having to pay down that amount.
If he’s a member of a God-fearing Christian congregation, hopefully with their help he could continue to care for her at home. For that matter, even if he wasn’t a church member of even a Christian, I think a church with its priorities straight would do what it could. In the absence of that, and while I don’t think charity is the government’s function, I wouldn’t feel nearly so bad about govt assistance in this case as I would with folks who draw money but could work.
Is this an unintended consequence of the Welfare State or one of its’ goals.
He needs to see an asset protection/planning ATTORNEY immediately.
This happened to my mother after she got remarried in her sixties and the new husband developed alzheimer’s. Even after he tried to kill her twice, the police would do nothing. No one would do anything, and no one wants to take a violent alzheimer’s patient.
Take Action!
Governor Mark Sanford
Columbia, SC
Fax: 803-734-5167
You may also contact the Governor's Office at 803-734-2100.
There is also a 3 yr. rule on transferring assets.
I really sympathize with this man's situation and agree I'd much rather see the government assist his family than a lazy non-worker.
This is sad.
Caring for his wife is the best way to take care of and especially educate his children. They'll certainly know what love is. No mention of a church helping. No mention of remarriage either.
Seems like he is torn between money and his wife.