A disabled man with a life-limiting condition who saved £50,000 for a dream trip to Florida has been left ‘stunned’ after the council ‘clawed back’ the cash.
Nathan Lee Davies, 47, has been outraged at the local authority’s decision and said he ‘deserves to escape from the home which is being made a prison’ on his first holiday in 14 years.
He managed to save up the funds over years by skipping social activities such as cinema trips.
Nathan receives £11,000 a month to manage his own care for the 24-7 disability he lives with, the progressive genetic disease of the nervous system Friedreich’s Ataxia.
The condition affects his coordination, balance and speech. Sufferers have a median life expectancy is around 35.
But Wrexham County Borough Council told him ‘surplus funds are to be returned’ after it found out how much he had in the bank.
It said they were allowed to claw back the cash due to Nathan not spending it on ‘specified social activities’.
The council suspended his October, November and December payments causing him the shell out £33,000 of his disputed savings on care.
Nathan had planned to use the money for a six-day trip to Florida in May with a specialist travel company at a cost of £3,500.
He said it was the cheapest option he could find and was ‘essential’ in giving him a bit of respite.
Nathan said planned to pay for his own flights and accommodation, but wanted support with funding the flights and accommodation of his two personal assistants – without whom he couldn’t travel without.
He said he never wanted the holiday paid for but ‘objected’ to having to pay for the people who support him.
The extra cost of carers for going on holiday is something only disabled people have to pay for.
He planned on using his other savings for more holidays, as long as he is able to manage.
But when Nathan excitedly revealed his plans to his social worker, she said the council must have the money back.
‘I was stunned that they would treat me like that,’ he told the BBC.
He appealed the council’s decision to retrieve the money and lost.
Nathan still plans to go on his trip later this year and has now launched an online fundraiser to help cover the costs for himself and his carers.
Writing on his GoFundMe page, which has raised £4,630 so far, he said: ‘I have therefore decided that I need to start living in the here and now.
‘To do this, I would like to continue my interest in America. I have a degree in American Studies that I achieved at the Universities of Nottingham and Illinois in the 1990’s. A trip to Florida with two of my Personal Assistants to care for me, would help me enjoy this experience at the end of May 2024.
‘I can fund my own trip, but the Local Authority refuses to pay for the travel and accommodation of my two Personal Assistants. I feel that a short break is absolutely essential for my physical and mental wellbeing as it would be my first break away from my daily routine in my adapted home for 14 years.’
The avid football fan is also the author of three books, including Dirty Old Town: Wrexham AFC in the Football League 1921-2008.
Wrexham Borough County Council has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.
A spokesman told MailOnline all of its social care plans were designed to support care needs alongside specified social activities.
He said Nathan had ‘not engaged’ in the social activities that he receives Direct Payment funding for, although it was his choice to make.
The council said it was willing to fund Nathan’s care while he was on holiday and it had offered options which included employing carers local to Florida.
‘If an individual chooses not to use their social care funding on meeting their assessed needs then the policy in terms of claw back is clear that surplus funds are to be returned to the council’ he said.
‘In accordance with normal policy and procedures surplus amounts within Direct Payments Accounts are reclaimed by the authority. This is in the context of limited and valuable local authority resources.’
‘Mr Davies’ appeal was managed through our complaints process and was subject to an independent investigation as part of that process – to which he received a full copy of the investigation outcome report.’
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
