A grateful family has claimed back £40,000 in wrongly paid care home fees thanks to the persistence of a leading law firm.
When Mr Pearson’s mother, Kath was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s they were thrown into an emotional and confusing world.
As her condition deteriorated the family decided the safest place for her was in a residential care home as she had reached a point where Kath needed a professional level of care.
As is often the case, the Pearsons were not even made aware of NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) funding, despite having meetings with social services about Kath’s care funding.
The family took on full responsibility for covering Kath’s care fees and as a result, they were forced to sell Kath’s home. Kath’s care cost all her life savings as well as the cost of her home, over a quarter of a million pounds.
Retrospective claim
Continuing Healthcare is a package of care funded by the NHS for individuals with a primary health need, regardless of the individual’s ability to pay for their care.
In the final year of Kath’s life, Mr and Mrs Pearson became aware of NHS Continuing Healthcare. They got in touch with the Hugh James Nursing Care team and a current assessment and a retrospective review were requested.
Following significant delays, Mrs Pearson was deemed eligible, and the NHS met her ongoing care fees, which meant they did not pay the £2,500 per month in care fees.
However, the family felt that she should have been eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare much earlier on and so wanted to make a retrospective claim.
They felt it was unfair that people like Kath are left with nothing to pass on to their children and grandchildren when there is funding available which they are entitled to but are being denied.
Experienced law firm
After many appeals, Hugh James Solicitors was successful in obtaining £40,000 back for the Pearsons.
The Hugh James team, which is led by partner Lisa Morgan, is one of the most experienced law firms in this niche area.
Over the past 16 years, the team have successfully challenged countless current and retrospective decisions to refuse NHS-funded Continuing Healthcare to long-term nursing home residents.
With thousands of people wrongly paying care home fees every year, the department acts on behalf of families of vulnerable people across England and Wales to help claim NHS Continuing Healthcare funding on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis.
Fighting tirelessly
Lisa explained: “All too often, individuals and their families are needlessly forced to sell their homes and other assets or investments to pay for care. It is disappointing that the NHS continue to incorrectly assess cases and put people and families in this position.
“Put simply, if the primary reason for an individual receiving care is for health, then it should be the responsibility of the NHS to pay for their care, regardless of the wealth of the individual.
“Our team fight tirelessly to secure the funding our clients are entitled to and to reclaim wrongly paid fees, to give families back what should never have been paid in the first place.”
Find out more
For further information and for a free initial assessment contact Hugh James today on 0808 500 8005 or see hughjames.com/carefees. Clients may have to pay fees and claims must pass eligibility criteria.
