Ombudsman finds fault after years-long mistake in care contribution assessment
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found fault causing injustice in Telford and Wrekin Council's handling of a care contribution assessment, after a woman – referred to as Mrs X – was told in 2024 she owed just over £3,500 towards a council-funded care package that, on reassessment, she should not have been charged for.
The council has been instructed to pay Mrs X £1,000 for the distress and uncertainty she experienced and to provide a clear calculation of the refund she is due. The case centres on a failure to include dependent children in financial assessments carried out when the support began in 2021.
Timeline of events
The sequence of the council's decisions is significant to local residents who rely on adult social care:
- March 2021 – Mrs X began receiving a 10-hour support package.
- March 2024 – council communicated that she owed just over £3,500 for contributions from January 2024.
- April 2024 – Mrs X complained, prompting a review.
- 2025 – council acknowledged the original assessment had failed to account for dependent children and that she should not have been asked to pay.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Initial care package | 10 hours support from 2021 |
| Amount billed | Just over £3,500 |
| Ombudsman award | £1,000 for distress and uncertainty |
Impact and council response
The ombudsman found the council missed "multiple opportunities" between 2021 and 2025 to reassess the financial information, despite Mrs X raising concerns. The report states the council now accepts it failed to identify the error until 2025 and has promised to carry out refunds and explain how figures were reached to the complainant.
"Fault causing injustice"
The ruling notes that individuals receiving care and support in the community must be left with a defined level of income to meet living costs, and that the council's assessment should have applied child premiums. The council has told the ombudsman it has introduced awareness-raising and training for staff on applying these premiums.
For local residents and families, the case underlines the importance of accurate financial assessments and clear communication from social care teams. People concerned about their assessments are advised to keep records of communications and to pursue complaints promptly if they believe information has been overlooked.
