My mom died last year and we've been notified of the intent to file a MERP claim. The bank account that mom left behind is actually a joint account owned by her and me. Information online says that they cannot make a claim on a joint account still owned by a survivor, and that they cannot make a claim against survivors, only the estate. I did report the amount of money that belonged to her, actually all of it was hers (we created the account when she got the diagnosis of Alzheimers so I could help her as her condition worsened); would I still have to hand that over, or is it all technically mine now? My husband and I make only about $40k per year, combined.
Depending on how much money is in this account, if it is a significant amount you should see an Elder Law Attorney to help you through this.
Angel