A case involving Worcestershire County Council has drawn attention to how failures in recognising and accommodating disability-related communication needs can escalate into severe financial and emotional distress. A near-blind man, referred to as Mr C, was allowed to accrue a care debt of £60,000 over nearly two years after the council repeatedly sent him written correspondence he was unable to read.
Despite clear evidence of significant visual impairment recorded in his care assessments, the council continued to rely on standard letters and invoices, ultimately demanding full payment within just two weeks once his daughter assumed formal responsibility for his finances. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found that the council missed numerous opportunities to intervene, communicate appropriately, and make reasonable adjustments, leading to an avoidable and prolonged failure in its duty of care.
Failure to Recognise and Act on Communication Needs
Blind Man began receiving care at home in January 2023, at which point Worcestershire County Council contacted him to offer a financial assessment to determine his contribution toward care costs. This initial communication, like many that followed, was sent in written form despite the council’s own records noting that Mr C was visually impaired. When he did not respond, the council proceeded to send further letters informing him that he would be required to pay the full cost of his care.
Over the following months, Mr C repeatedly expressed confusion about his financial obligations. During a nursing review in May 2023 and a telephone conversation with the council in August 2023, he stated that he did not understand whether he was required to pay for his care. In one call, he explained that he believed he did not need to pay, yet had received a letter claiming he owed £1,000.
At the same time, he made clear that he did not wish to be registered as blind and did not want additional support, a position that may have contributed to the council’s failure to fully address his communication needs. Later in August 2023, Mr C contacted the council’s duty team to raise concerns about the care bill again. A duty worker noted during a follow-up call that he was visually impaired and suggested this impairment could explain why he had not responded to written correspondence.
Although the council subsequently carried out a financial assessment, the outcome was once again communicated solely in writing. By this stage, the pattern was well established: Mr C’s inability to read letters prevented him from understanding, questioning, or responding to the council’s demands, while the council continued to treat his non-response as disengagement rather than a sign of unmet needs.
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The ombudsman later concluded that no one within the council took responsibility for properly considering whether Mr C required reasonable adjustments under equality and care legislation. This included alternative communication formats, verbal explanations, or direct engagement with family members. According to the report, the council could have anticipated these needs from the outset and made simple changes as early as January 2023, yet it failed to do so and missed multiple subsequent opportunities to rectify the situation.
How the Debt Escalated Over Two Years
As months passed, the cost of Mr C’s care continued to accumulate without his informed consent or understanding. By the time the issue came to wider attention, his debt had grown to £60,000. During this period, Mr C’s sight deteriorated significantly, with records later indicating that he had lost around 90 per cent of his vision.
In July 2024, Mr C’s three children were granted lasting power of attorney for his property and financial affairs, allowing them to manage his finances formally. One of his daughters, referred to as Mrs B, soon became aware of the extent of the problem. On 27 November 2024, she received a letter from the council stating that the full £60,000 debt must be paid within two weeks. The abrupt demand came as a shock, particularly given her father’s disability and the lack of prior meaningful engagement with the family.
Mrs B complained to the council, arguing that the demand was unreasonable and failed to take account of her father’s severe visual impairment. She maintained that the debt had grown precisely because he was unable to read or respond to the letters sent to him, and because the council had not taken adequate steps to communicate with him in a way he could understand.
The ombudsman agreed, finding that the council’s actions had compounded the problem rather than resolved it. The report stated that the authority had repeatedly relied on written correspondence even after staff explicitly acknowledged that Mr C’s visual impairment might be preventing him from responding. The failure to escalate the issue, involve family members earlier, or provide accessible communication allowed the debt to grow unchecked.
Crucially, the ombudsman noted that the council’s responsibility did not end with sending letters. Once it became clear that Mr C was confused and unable to engage effectively, the onus was on the authority to adapt its approach. Instead, it continued with standard procedures, resulting in a situation where enforcement action was taken against a man who had never fully understood his liability.
Ombudsman Findings and Required Remedies
In its final decision, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman concluded that Worcestershire County Council had acted with fault by failing to properly consider Mr C’s communication needs and by not making reasonable adjustments. The report highlighted that the council had “missed many further opportunities over the next 22 months to put matters right,” even after staff acknowledged his visual impairment.
As a result, the ombudsman ordered the council to apologise to both Mr C and Mrs B. It also directed the authority to pay £300 to Mr C and £150 to his daughter in recognition of the distress and inconvenience caused. Beyond financial redress, the council was instructed to discuss and agree on a suitable repayment arrangement for the outstanding debt, rather than insisting on immediate full payment.
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The ombudsman further required Worcestershire County Council to arrange training for staff on their duty to make reasonable adjustments, ensuring greater awareness of how disabilities can affect communication and engagement. This measure was intended to prevent similar cases from arising in the future by embedding accessibility considerations into routine practice.
In response, a spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council stated that the authority was aware of the ombudsman’s report and the actions required, but declined to comment on individual cases. While the council did not dispute the findings publicly, the case stands as a detailed example of how administrative processes can fail vulnerable individuals when flexibility and proactive support are absent.
The outcome underscores the legal and practical importance of recognising disability-related barriers early and responding appropriately. In Mr C’s case, what began as a routine care arrangement escalated into a major financial dispute not because of deliberate non-payment, but because communication methods were unsuitable for his condition. The ombudsman’s ruling makes clear that councils and other public bodies must do more than follow standard procedures; they must actively ensure that those procedures are accessible and effective for the people they serve.