Rude and inflexible
Update: Later Living Helpline have responded be;pw saying that phone numbers aren't filled in automatically on Instagram but that is not accuate. They do. I should have paid attention to that admittedly but it DID fill in automatically which I only realised too late. I absolutely would NOT have given my phone number if it needed to be filled in.
I responded to an ad on Instagram which I didn't realise had included my phone number. I don't like being called and pressured into things - I'd rather be sent information I can read and absorb in my own time before agreeing to a meeting. So I avoided the very persistent calls for a few days. Jody kept persisting however so I just answered a call and when I explained that I'd rather be sent information she adopted a patronising tone to tell me that the subject was 'too complex for that and that's why 70,000 people lose their homes to pay for care'. Thank you. I'm aware. She then put the phone down on me before I could explain that I'd rather be sent some information to read.
The complexity of the issue is that it's far too complex to get across in a phone call, in my view. Unless you're into pressuring vulnerable elderly people (which I'm not, but is why I'm helping my mum!) into agreeing to things they don't fully understand.
I want to understand fully the credentials of the organisation I'm talking to before I'm pressured to commit time to an appointment. So unless you're willing to provide different ways for people to engage with your expertise, then it's a no from me. I am planning how to protect my own estate and helping my mum with hers so we'll just take our business elsewhere.
Svar fra Later Living Helpline
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re genuinely sorry that your experience didn’t feel positive, and we appreciate the chance to clarify how our process works.
When someone responds to our Instagram advert, the phone number field does not autofill and the consent box is not pre‑ticked. A person has to manually enter their number and actively tick the box confirming they would like a call with further information. We only ever call people who have done both of these things.
Regarding written information: protecting a home from future care fees is not something that can be explained in a generic leaflet. Every situation is different depending on age, health, marital status, location, and ownership structure. Without understanding these details, it isn’t legally possible for us to send personalised guidance.
We also have strict rules around people contacting us about their parents’ homes. We cannot legally discuss or provide information about someone else’s assets without speaking directly to the homeowner. Unfortunately, we receive many enquiries from people trying to protect a parent’s home for inheritance reasons, which is why our volunteers must confirm who they are speaking to and whether the person is the homeowner.
Later Living Helpline does not provide the advice itself. We simply arrange free appointments with qualified estate‑planning specialists. These appointments must be done face‑to‑face (via video call) for legal reasons, including confirming identity and consent, and ensuring no vulnerable person is being pressured by someone else.
The initial 5–10 minute phone call you received was only to confirm who we were speaking to and whether an appointment would be appropriate. Our volunteer recalls that when you said you preferred written information, she explained why that wasn’t possible. When you then said you did not want to continue the phone call, she respected your wishes and ended the call immediately.
We understand that phone calls aren’t everyone’s preferred method of communication, and we’re sorry this process didn’t suit you. However, based on the information you provided and the consent you gave, our team followed the required legal steps and ended the call as soon as you expressed that you didn’t want to continue.
We wish you and your mum all the best with your estate‑planning journey.
As you have updated your negative comment, we need to add this clarification to our reply. When we said the phone number is not filled in automatically, we did not say that Instagram itself doesn’t do this. It depends entirely on how the contact form is created in Meta. When you create a form on Facebook or Instagram, the creator — in this case, us — chooses whether the phone number autofills or not. We deliberately set it so the number must be entered manually to prevent people who are not genuinely interested from wasting our time. We are too busy to call people who do not want information.
We also ended the call because you were trying to discuss someone else’s assets for your own benefit. This is not allowed. If your mother wants to protect her home for inheritance purposes, she must be the one to contact someone directly. We receive many enquiries from children asking how to secure their inheritance as if it is owed to them, but this is a conversation that must take place between you and your mother.
