A BLACK Country authority has written off a bill for thousands of pounds in unpaid care charges after a local government watchdog said it failed to inform a family of their rights.

Sandwell Council has been found to be at fault by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman after it issued a £4,000 cash demand for top fees for an elderly woman’s stay in a residential home.

In a report outlining its findings, the watchdog said the authority did not provide proper support and information to family members of the woman, who he referred to as Mrs X.

Publishing his findings, the Ombudsman said: “The council has agreed to waive the outstanding top-up fees and to meet the cost going forward. This is a satisfactory resolution of the complaint.”

His report stated prior to 2016 Mrs X  had been living in a care home but following a stay in hospital her family found a new residential facility for her to move into.

The council said the family agreed to pay the top-up costs of £57 a week  when it signed a contract with the local authority in September 2016.

In June 2017, it sent Mrs X’s daughter an invoice for over £4,000 of unpaid fees. 

After an investigation the council  concluded the family could not make the top-up payments and renegotiated with the care home to reduce them to £50 a week but relatives said they still couldn’t afford to pay.

In July 2018 the local authority identified another residential unit which it considered could meet Mrs X’s needs and would not require an additional charge but the family said the new home wasn’t suitable.

In an analysis of the case, the Ombudsman said the council hadn’t followed the proper process in considering what alternatives were available within Mrs X’s identified personal budget and it should have explained those alternatives to her family in writing.