Parental Contributions
- What do Social Services pay for?
- Why Am I Being Asked to Contribute?
- How Much Am I Being Asked to Pay?
- Is the Parental Contribution based on what we can afford?
- What information will the Foundation Representative need to see?
- How do I pay my parental contribution?
- Did Residents who were at Langdon before Parental Contributions were introduced also pay?
- What if my son/daughter decides to leave Langdon?
- What if my son/daughter decides to move from Manchester to London (or vice versa)?
What do Social Services pay for?
Social Services only cover the cost of staff support and this is limited to only the support that will enable your son/daughter to maintain their own home. Social Services do not provide any funding for accommodation or employment services. These aspects are funded by Langdon as part of our Charitable Objects and Mission, so long as there are enough funds to do this.
Local Government also provides Housing Allowance for most of our residents, after they leave College. The Allowance is assessed locally and differs according to any income/savings a resident may have and the accommodation costs in the area. It is to help low earners with their rent.
Why Am I Being Asked to Contribute?
Foundation needs parents to contribute to make up the shortfall of funds to cover:
- The cost of the property on top of the available mortgage that we can obtain based on the rental being received from the resident.
- Cost of adaptations to properties
- Furnishings, fixtures and fittings
- Jewish ethos items – mezuzah, two sets of china etc.
How Much Am I Being Asked to Pay?
Each parent will be asked for two separate payments – one which covers furniture and inventory items and the other is the Parental Contribution towards the cost of property generally.
Inventory Payment: All families are asked for a one-off payment of £3,400 (currently) to cover inventory items. This cost can sometimes be claimed from your local social services department as a Community Care Grant. Langdon Community can advise you on this. This is a one off payment to Langdon Community who will continue to replace and refurbish the furniture fixtures and fittings as required. The only exclusion is for items lost as a result of wilful damage.
Click here for a typical inventory list for one of our properties.
Parental Contribution: This is based on a shortfall calculation. The mortgage that we can obtain does not meet the entire cost of purchasing the accommodation. The shortfall is currently £70,000 in London and £20,000 in Manchester and this reflects the variance in property values between the two cities. This cost has been calculated on the assumption that Foundation aims to provide a life time tenancy for your son/daughter.
Is the Parental Contribution based on what we can afford?
Yes. The Parental Contribution is based on your ability to pay.
When you make an application for your son/daughter to become a tenant of Foundation, you will be asked whether you intend to apply for financial support from Foundation towards the cost of the Parental Contribution. If you or a member of your family can pay the Parental Contribution in full, then you will not be subject to a financial assessment.
Where you are in need of financial assistance, you will have to complete an application form to apply for assistance with the Parental Contribution and a Foundation representative will meet with you.
If you cannot afford to pay, or can only pay a percentage of the Parental Contribution required, Foundation will try and provide a grant towards the cost of accommodation for your son/daughter, subject to Foundation being able to raise the funds elsewhere. Every circumstance will be assessed individually.
Subsequent to any grant being provided, if your circumstances change, your grant will be reassessed.
What information will the Foundation Representative need to see?
Any family making an application to Foundation for help towards the cost of the Parental Contribution will receive a home visit from our financial representative. You will be provided with a financial questionnaire in advance of the visit which you will have to complete in full prior to any meeting. The questionnaire seeks to obtain a clear picture of financial status for you and your son/daughter. This process may also include asking you to liaise with extended members of your family who may be willing to provide additional financial assistance.
Our representative is aware of all sensitivities involved in undertaking a financial assessment and will approach all discussions in a confidential and sympathetic way.
How do I pay my parental contribution?
Langdon wishes to be co-operative and sympathetic to each family and we are willing to be flexible in our approach. There are several ways to make this payment.
They include:
- A one-off payment for the full amount
- A pre-agreed series of lump sum donations
- Regular payments
- In some cases we can also discuss longer term payment schemes which could include legacies or wills.
Did Residents who were at Langdon before Parental Contributions were introduced also pay?
The Parental Contribution was introduced after property prices increased hugely between 2004 and 2006. Prior to 2006, Foundation could afford to support property acquisitions in Manchester based on the rents received; there were no Foundation homes in London at that time. Parents were not asked to contribute towards the cost of the Manchester properties as Foundation had sufficient money to support the purchases.
As a result of the huge increase in property prices experienced between 2004 and 2006, combined with the introduction of Foundation homes in London, Foundation had to introduce the Parental Contribution requirement as it simply could not afford to purchase properties without this additional financial support.
Were a son/daughter wishes to relocate from Manchester to London (or vice versa), or when people are re-housed based on personal choice or changes in need, then the Parental Contribution will apply.
All those who have changed their housing arrangement have been assessed and have supported the Parental Contribution scheme.
What if my son/daughter decides to leave Langdon?
In the event of your son/daughter leaving Langdon, a proportion of the Parental Contribution may be refunded, but only if you have paid the full lump sum Parental Contribution and no grant was given by Foundation prior to your son/daughter moving into a Foundation home. There is a write down for each year that a son/daughter is a resident in a Foundation home and full details of the write down are provided prior to the Parental Contribution being agreed.
What if my son/daughter decides to move from Manchester to London (or vice versa)?
In the event of moving from Manchester to London, Foundation will notify the family of what Parental Contribution is required. At that stage, the family will need to assess whether a grant towards this contribution needs to be applied for.
