Council threat to take war hero’s family to court over his £31k bill
A COUNCIL is threatening to take the family of a Second World War hero to court over the £31,000 cost of his care before he died – so he could stay in his own home.
Former prisoner-of-war Robbie Clark spent four years battling his local council to fund the 24-hour care he needed to stay in his own home, before he died last June.
Seeking
After a huge public outcry and a 190,000-signature petition, the 98-year-old was able spend his remaining years in his own home, with an agreement from the authority the care costs would be paid after he died.
But despite Robbie’s 60-year-old son Mike promising to pay the remaining bill in full, Brent Council is seeking the cash before the estate is finalised.
Robbie, who spent three years in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp, ran up a bill of £31,329.23 between 2012 to 2017. Donations of more than £21,000 flooded in from generous members of the public including Daily Express readers and charities along with NHS payments, leaving a £10,000 debt.
The north London authority is threatening court action against the family for the outstanding £10,000.
Mike, who has been paying back in stages, says he has already given the council £20,000 and promised to pay back the final sum as soon as his father’s house is sold.
Robbie exhausted his £50,000 life savings making up the £600-a-week difference in his more than £1,000-a-week care costs after the council were only willing to pay £400 a week.
A Brent Council spokesman said: “Social care, unlike NHS services, is not free at the point of use and we are not in a position to pick and choose who we charge for care and who we do not, based on their personal background.”