A MISTAKE in the handling of an ill man’s care has led to Herefordshire Council writing off nearly £1,300 in charges.

It is the only time in the last five years where the council was criticised by the Local Government Ombudsman for the way it handled care charges.

New research shows hundreds of cases across the country where councils have made errors in the charging for care for elderly and vulnerable people.

Some councils, like neighbouring Shropshire and Worcestershire, are ‘repeat offenders’, with a combined total of 15 complaints upheld against them.

Herefordshire Council has had just one case, relating to a care package for a man who was in hospital but who was assessed able to live independently at home with visits by two carers.

But a complaint was later raised about the charges for the care, claiming the first six weeks should have been provided free.

The Ombudsman says the council was not at fault in the way it assessed the man’s financial situation, or the care package that was provided.

But it was ruled that the council had not properly notified him of the charges before they started, and the council agreed to credit him £1,296 for the care during the six-week period “to remedy any injustice that may have been caused”.

A council spokesman said: “Herefordshire Council works hard to deliver high-quality adult social care services. We work closely with the Local Government Ombudsman and we are always open to learning from case reviews to further improve our processes and provide the best possible outcomes for residents.

An investigation by (Hereford Times publisher) Newsquest’s Data Investigations Unit has found 80 per cent of the 152 councils with responsibility for adult social care have been criticised on at least one occasion by a government watchdog over their poor handling of charging for care services.

Nationally, councils have been told to waive fees, pay out compensation and issue apologies because of errors.

Age UK says the care system is “hideously complex”, needs a complete overhaul, and there ought to be greater clarity on what people are expected to pay.

The Government says it will bring forward a plan for social care later this year.