Why Flintshire Council is set to write off a near £50,000 care home bill
Flintshire County Council is preparing to write off nearly £50,000 in unpaid care home fees after confirming the debt cannot be recovered.
The case relates to a Flintshire resident who began receiving social services support in 2019 and later moved into long-term residential care.
A legal charge was placed on their property to cover the costs of care, which is standard practice under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.
However, the authority later discovered the property was jointly owned with a spouse. Because consent from all co-owners is required for such a charge, the arrangement was not valid.
Ongoing divorce proceedings and ill health prevented the resident from resolving the matter, leaving the council unable to secure repayment.
The unpaid costs total £49,708.34. External legal advice confirmed there is no realistic prospect of recovery, and the council cannot intervene in the matrimonial financial dispute.
Cabinet approval is required for any individual bad debt above £25,000, under the council’s financial procedure rules. If agreed, the write-off will represent a direct loss of income to the authority.
A council report states: “There is no prospect of recovering this debt, so a write off of the debt is now necessary. External legal advice has also been sought which confirms there is no prospect of bringing legal action to recover the debt.”
The authority says measures are in place to minimise future risks.
The Financial Assessment and Charging Team holds monthly legal advice surgeries with a specialist firm to support the collection of fees and charges, and to reduce the likelihood of non-payment.
The debt write off proposal will go before councillors at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 16 September.
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