A woman’s daughter alerted Kingston Council about their £7,000 arrears, unaware of the family’s financial situation.
Kingston
A council in south London has said sorry to a mother for charging her too much for care. The family was shocked to find out they owed the council £7,000. The mother’s daughter alerted the council, saying they had not received any bills.
The daughter, known as Miss X, contacted Kingston Council in April 2023. She asked for more help for her mother, Mrs Y, who was having trouble with housework due to health issues. The council had not sent any invoices, which led to the confusion.
A report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found that the council had made mistakes. It said the council should apologize to both Mrs Y and Miss X and pay them £100 each for the trouble caused.
Miss X had asked for extra support for her mother. The care provider agreed to give her one hour of help in the mornings and evenings, plus one hour for household tasks each week. However, Miss X never got a copy of the new care plan.
The council claimed it emailed reminders about unpaid bills to Mrs Y’s husband, Mr Y. They sent several invoices and even warned that legal action could happen if payments were not made.
Miss X found out about the debt when she received a letter saying they owed over £7,000. She explained that her mother was only getting 14 hours of care each week, but they were being charged for 15 hours and an old care package.
The report noted that there was confusion about how much care Mrs Y really needed. The council failed to review her care plan when Miss X raised concerns. This meant Mrs Y was charged too much for longer than necessary.
The ombudsman told the council to send corrected invoices and allow Mrs Y to pay back her debt over 12 months. A spokesperson for Kingston Council said they are committed to providing better care services and have accepted the findings of the ombudsman.
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