Hello. I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or can offer advice - either moral or practical. I’m trying to work out if I should feel miffed, and if so from what point in time - and also whether I have any financial recourse.
About three years ago my elderly parents had a meal delivery service setup by social services - paid for by direct debit from my parents’ joint bank account. At the time mum lacked capacity, and within months dad was assessed the same. A few weeks after the deliveries began, social services organised for my vulnerable sibling, who lived with our parents, to also receive meals. But rather than setup a separate delivery account or direct debit, it’s emerged they just added his name to our parents’ account - so our parents were funding his meals.
Fast forward to summer 2019, and our parents moved into full-time residential care but my sibling (who has a financial appointee due to his own vulnerabilities around finances) to this day remains living at the property supported by adult social services. He still receives the same meal deliveries. Mum is still alive but dad died last year.
I have recently been appointed as mum’s lay deputy and have gained access to her bank accounts. I can see that the meals for my sibling have continued to be paid for by our parents’ account - a year and a half after they moved out of the property. Since then it’s cost £120 a week - so about £9,000 in total. Social services did not review how the meals were being paid for when our parents moved into care, and nor did the meal delivery company think to review the funding of the service.
Am I right to feel aggrieved? I think there was a duty of care missed somewhere along the line. If so, should it have been the responsibility of adult social services, the meal delivery company, or both to review payment?
Although I have now stopped the direct debit (after having had appropriate conversations with social services about meal provision), at the end of the day thousands of pounds have been taken from our parents’ account - simply because no one reviewed how my siblings meals were being paid for. Should I let this go or should I seek recompense?
I have looked into the direct debit guarantee, but I’m not convinced the payments have been taken fraudulently (maybe I am being naive here?). Social services aren’t admitting any liability and the meal delivery company can’t see they’ve done anything wrong - simply saying they had a direct debit instruction in place.
I don’t know whether I should feel mean pursuing this as it’s my brother who stands to lose at the end of the day - or justified in pursuing it as from my point of view there wasn’t sufficient duty of care taken. Any thoughts would be really welcome as I am feeling very confused.