Advice needed re council invoice for care costs

[Afshan]

My mum sadly passed in Dec 2021. This week (nov 2022) i received a bill for nearly £5000 for her care costs dated from 1.10.20 to 16.5.21 from Bradford council. My mum was in a full time nursing care home where she was moved during Covid lockdown in April 20, and she had social housing in another care home where virtually all her costs were paid by the council and a small contribution from her pension, for which the tenancy ended on 1.11.21 because she had become totally paralysed and it was clear she could never return to her home.
She had less than £10K in her accounts when she passed away. Her accounts are now all closed , and the remaining money of around £6K is reserved to build a grave stone with the rest to be divided amongst her children according to her will.
So my question is, why has the council sent me this backdated bill and do i have to pay it (I held my mum's PAO and am her executor but no probate was needed as she had such little money).
I have repeatedly tried to call the phone number in the invoice but it goes to voicemail, i've left messages.
Any advice would be most welcome. Its the anniversary of her death in a few weeks and this invoice has reminded me of all that she went through in her last few years and is very upsetting.

 

[My Mum's Daughter]

@Afshan going purely on the amounts involved and a little bit of guess work, the £5,000 sounds as though it could be her care home contribution from her pension. When someone is LA funded, their pension is used towards the cost, leaving the resident with a small amount of pocket money known as PEA. Do you know what happened to her pension during this time?

But in saying that, you deserve a proper explanation from the council. I'd suggest that you stop trying to contact them by phone and either write them a letter or send an email. If there's still no clear response, try contacting her local councillor for help.

Sorry this has happened to you at such a bad time and I hope that you're able to get a positive answer.

 

[Afshan]

@Afshan going purely on the amounts involved and a little bit of guess work, the £5,000 sounds as though it could be her care home contribution from her pension. When someone is LA funded, their pension is used towards the cost, leaving the resident with a small amount of pocket money known as PEA. Do you know what happened to her pension during this time?

But in saying that, you deserve a proper explanation from the council. I'd suggest that you stop trying to contact them by phone and either write them a letter or send an email. If there's still no clear response, try contacting her local councillor for help.

Sorry this has happened to you at such a bad time and I hope that you're able to get a positive answer.

thanks for your suggestion. . yes it could be her contribution but it seems very high. works out at >£155 per week which exceeds my mum's pension.
I also noticed that the invoice is dated 25.5.21 but has only just been sent to me!. And as it is addressed to "The executors" it seems clear that they have sent it knowing that my mum passed away in Dec 21. but have not amended the dates of issue. I will try and write to them but am very tempted to just ignore it too.

 

[Jessbow]

State pension is about £180.00 pw.
that, minsus the £30ish = around £150 so it sounds to me like her contributin portion.


5000/155 = around 32 weeks owed - she was there about 7 months, so that does sound about right.
It will need to be paid, although it sounds as though it was sent rather late .

As her executor, it is your responsibility to pay it before spending on such as headstones/sharing what is left of her money unfortunately

 

[Scarlet Lady]

I’m very sorry that you’re going through this, @Afshan . Whatever this bill is about, it’s deplorable that it’s taken the LA almost a year after your mum died to send it, especially as it’s covering a period starting over two years ago! It would be entirely reasonable to assume that your mother’s estate would be regarded as settled by now.
I would do as others have suggested. Send an urgent letter or email to the head of the department the correspondence has come from, asking for a full breakdown of what these alleged charges cover. I would also ask why it has taken so long for you to be notified. If you don’t get a satisfactory response, go to your MP.
Good luck.

 

[Jaded'n'faded]

I think I'd tell them that due to their unacceptable delay, the money from the estate as already been distributed and see what they say.

I know SS take the person's pension when they are paying for care but your poor mum had so little left it seems awful they want to swipe it. You may have no choice though. Definitely get a full breakdown for the figure they've arrived at. Make sure they have allowed your mum's PEA, which is the amount they're allowed to keep out of their pension each week for sundry expenses. It's about £25 per week (Generous, huh?)

Just to add, I think there is a time limit for creditors to come forward when a person dies, but you'd need to look into that.

 

[Afshan]

State pension is about £180.00 pw.
that, minsus the £30ish = around £150 so it sounds to me like her contributin portion.


5000/155 = around 32 weeks owed - she was there about 7 months, so that does sound about right.
It will need to be paid, although it sounds as though it was sent rather late .

As her executor, it is your responsibility to pay it before spending on such as headstones/sharing what is left of her money unfortunately

Thanks. What you say makes some sense in terms of the calculations, but this bill doesn’t. my mum was there in her last nursing home longer than 6 months, she was moved there under covid rules straight from hospital in .April 2920. She passed away in December 20201 , so why I get a bill for 7 months in the middle of her living there is very confusing.

 

[Afshan]

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I think I'd tell them that due to their unacceptable delay, the money from the estate as already been distributed and see what they say.

I know SS take the person's pension when they are paying for care but your poor mum had so little left it seems awful they want to swipe it. You may have no choice though. Definitely get a full breakdown for the figure they've arrived at. Make sure they have allowed your mum's PEA, which is the amount they're allowed to keep out of their pension each week for sundry expenses. It's about £25 per week (Generous, huh?)

Just to add, I think there is a time limit for creditors to come forward when a person dies, but you'd need to look into that.

thanks. Yes I think I need to ask them for a full breakdown and make sure it’s all accurate. I will also check out the legal situation on the time for creditors to come forward. That is a good point ..

 

[Lynmax]

My mum also went into a care home in April 2020 during the first lockdown, she was discharged from hospital straight to a home. At that time, the government were giving local authorities huge amounts of money to spend however they wanted to get elderly people out of hospital - wanting to be ready for Covid wards.

Manchester used the funding to pay for all care home fees of everyone who was discharged to a care home regardless of their income or financial assets. Obviously a social worker had to be involved in finding the care home and processing the paperwork. This funding lasted for six months and mum was not asked to pay for her care until October 2020. As mum had funds and a house, we took over the arrangements to pay the home directly but a friends mum, in similar circumstances to your mum with little savings and low income, was funded by the LA and her pension, bar a small amount, had to be paid to the LA. It took a while for the paperwork to be processed, almost 12 months, at which time a large sum was owed.

I don’t know where your mum lived nor how her LA chose to use this funding but it’s something to consider.

 

[Jessbow]

Thanks. What you say makes some sense in terms of the calculations, but this bill doesn’t. my mum was there in her last nursing home longer than 6 months, she was moved there under covid rules straight from hospital in .April 2920. She passed away in December 20201 , so why I get a bill for 7 months in the middle of her living there is very confusing.

Can you lay out the dates for when she was where. she was in home A , then in hospital, then in home B? you post is confusing.

What dates do you know she paid her contribution for?
Did you /she ever pay any contribution to the nursing homes, and were you ever given a final invoice?

 

[My Mum's Daughter]

I'm wondering if your Mum was awarded CHC at anytime.