Find out more. Contact Client Login SERVICES ABOUT CAREERS INSIGHTS CONTACT BOOK APPOINTMENT Back to Insights News CATRIONA SAVES HER CLIENT £550 EACH MONTH 12 November 2021 SHARE The focus at Chase de Vere is on providing our clients with expert and wide-ranging independent financial advice coupled with a high quality level of ongoing service. We look at a recent case where Catriona Smith, Independent Financial Adviser in our Glasgow office, whose thorough and diligent work has led to one of her clients making significant savings in their council tax bill. Catriona is recognised as one of the leading financial advisers in providing financial advice to older clients and she has particular expertise in advising on long term care. She is a full member of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) and won the Financial Adviser of the Year category for Scotland & Northern Ireland at the Women in Financial Advice Awards in 2019 and 2020, before being ‘Highly Commended’ this year. Catriona recently met up with one of her long established clients. The client’s husband is suffering from dementia and has now entered a care home, so his wife is having to deal with the finances, even though she has never really taken an interest in them before. Catriona discussed, with the client, how they were going to pay for the husband’s care costs. As part of this, the client showed Catriona her Council Tax bill. She was paying around £600 each month, which Catriona thought was excessive. Catriona asked her client to contact her City Council and explain that she was now in the property by herself, and also her husband had been diagnosed with Dementia and was in a care home. She had never done anything like this before and so Catriona wrote down exactly what she had to say to the Council. The client has now sent Catriona her new Council Tax Bill and this has been reduced to just £50 each month. This is because: They were entitled to a discount as the husband had Dementia. The Council back-dated the money they should not have paid since he was diagnosed She never knew that, as she was now living alone, she is entitled to a 25% reduction due to single occupation. Nobody had mentioned Council Tax costs to her previously when she had completed the Financial Assessment forms for care costs. The client is now saving £550 per month until at least 6th April 2022, which will help towards her husband’s care costs and, in the meantime, Catriona is helping her by setting up an immediate care annuity. Content correct at the time of writing and is intended for general information only and should not be construed as advice. RELATED INSIGHTS 16 April 2019 China Emerges On To The Investment Stage The importance of China’s stock market… News VIEW ARTICLE 18 November 2019 UK Dividend Growth Continues, But For How Long? Recent data show that dividends from… News VIEW ARTICLE 11 November 2021 The Autumn Budget – Taxed And Spent After already increasing taxes by £42… News VIEW ARTICLE TO FIND OUT HOW CHASE DE VERE CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS, ARRANGE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION. ARRANGE APPOINTMENT RELATED SERVICES ADVICE FOR YOU LEARN MORE JOIN OUR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE TO RECEIVE: EDUCATIONAL NEWS UPDATES & UPCOMING EVENTS SUBSCRIBE Receive business advice updates Receive personal advice updates By signing up to our email subscription service we will send you regular emails with the latest insights from Chase de Vere. By signing up you are agreeing to our term and conditions that can be found here. 0345 300 6256 CLIENT.SERVICES@CHASEDEVERE.CO.UK Home Careers Insights Privacy Cookies Terms of Use About How to make a complaint Gender Pay Gap Report Best Execution Report Modern Slavery Statement Linkedin Twitter Disclaimer: Investments can go up and down in value, so you could get back less than you put in. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate cash flow planning, tax or estate planning. © Copyright Chase de Vere / 2021