Council's Payment Demand to Bereaved Family Caused Distress
Sent unexpectedly large bill for care as they were grieving loss of mother
The 'very large' bill arrived in the final days of the elderly woman. Picture: AI generated
September 25, 2026
Poor communication from Hounslow Council and delays in responding to an elderly woman in ill health meant her family spent her final days worrying about a “very large bill” for care they were not expecting.
The family of the woman, referred to as Mrs K in the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman ruling, were shocked to be delivered a bill of up to £1,400 backdated several months by Hounslow Council. Mrs K died before the council responded to concerns raised by her family.
In March 2024, Mrs K was assessed by the local authority as requiring home care, which began the same month. Her daughter, Miss X, completed the financial assessment form, and recalled being told by her mother’s social worker “that as she had very little in savings, the council would not expect her to contribute to her home care costs”.
Following a hospital admission in August 2024, Mrs K was discharged to a care home. In the following months, the council chased the family for financial details which resulted in a new care and support plan for the mother in December.
Within this plan was a personal budget setting out the cost of care, but it “did not say how much Mrs K should contribute to this”, according to a report by the Ombudsman. One month later, the council wrote to Miss X, informing her that her mother owed £77 per week for her home care, backdated from April 2024 until her hospital admission in August – roughly £1,300 to £1,400.
At the same time, Hounslow Council informed the family that “when Mrs K went into the care home, the value of her property would be taken into account after 12 weeks into her stay there”. This meant that from October onwards, Mrs K was liable to pay the whole amount of her care fees.
Miss X complained to the council stating that “she had not been told how the charges would be calculated, and that as it had taken so long, her mother now had a very large bill which was a shock”. The council responded, explaining the law and her options, but noted that another team would respond to her complaint.
Miss X never received a response to this complaint and her mother sadly died around two months later before the debt was settled. The Ombudsman found fault in the council’s severe delays and failure of communication.
The report states: “In these circumstances, it was essential that the council completed a financial assessment without delay and gave clear advice and information to Miss X about care charges.”
Additionally, the Care Act 2014 requires personal budgets in care plans to clearly state personal contributions – the council did not do this.
A council spokesperson said: “We accept the findings of the Ombudsman and have apologised to Miss X while taking swift action to improve our practice in this area, namely our Financial Assessment Process. Staff have also been briefed, and a payment has been made to compensate Miss X for the impact this situation has had on her.”
Hounslow Council made a symbolic payment of £250 to Miss X in recognition of the impact the situation had on her. The council also agreed that “it will reflect on the case to ensure that it maintains clear records of how and when financial information is shared; it fully replies to complaints; and communications between services is effectively coordinated and recorded”.
Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter
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