PP I have known (in my pre retirement life) this to both work and not work. As I said, the keys seem to be how long the family member takes care for in terms of time, how predictable the need for residential care was when the person moves in, and how unwell the person becomes when the relative or friend gives up.....also of course how skint the LA is at the time..... The "reasonable" and "foreseeable" criteria are very elastic