I saved £50,000 for a dream holiday, but the council told me to give THEM all the money
A WHEELCHAIR user is devastated after a cruel council clawed back £50,000 he saved for the holiday of a lifetime.
Nathan Lee Davies, 47, skipped state-funded cinema trips and other activities to save for a holiday to Florida with his two carers.
But the bean counters at Wrexham County Borough Council whined: 'Surpluses must be returned.'
He said: 'I never wanted my holiday to be paid for.
'I can finance my own travel, but the local government refuses to pay for the travel and accommodation of my two personal assistants.
“I just feel like I fell short.”
Nathan lives with Friedreich's ataxia, a progressive genetic disease of the nervous system.
The average life expectancy of patients is around 35 years.
Through years of saving, Nathan has given up approved social activities and set aside £50,000 – made possible by his 24-7 disability support of £11,000 a month.
He has even provided the council with quarterly bank statements to prove he is not misusing the money.
He planned to use the money for a six-day trip to Florida in May with a specialist tour company, at a cost of £3,500.
The “cheapest option” holiday is Nathan's first in 14 years and is “essential” to give him some rest, he says.
He hoped to take his two carers with him and have them paid by the council, but was “stunned” when he was asked to give the money back.
Nathan told me BBC Access All podcast: “I object to having to pay for the people who will work to support me.
“I deserve to escape from the house that is being turned into a prison.”
Nathan appealed the decision but lost before the council suspended his payments for October, November and December.
It meant he had to spend £33,000 of his disputed savings on care.
The council warned that all its social care plans are 'designed' to support care needs alongside specific social activities, such as the cinema.
It added: “[Nathan] has not engaged in the social activities for which he receives direct funding, a choice to which he has every right.
“If an individual chooses not to use their social care funding to meet their needs, then the policy in terms of clawback is clear that excess funds should be returned to the council.
“Direct payments are not a benefit. They are a payment to support payment for care and support and so should not be considered part of a person's 'income' as they are not.”
Nathan has promised to go on vacation to Florida, but he will foot the bill for hotels and flights for himself and his caregivers.
But he says the holiday costs have now risen to £5,800, so he has set up a GoFundMe to help cover the trip, which can be found here.
The board said it was willing to fund his care while he was on vacation and “offered options” to find caregivers in Florida.
It would mean no costs for accommodation and travel, and only the costs for the US caregivers.