Articles

Donations pour in for 96-year-old live-in care expense

15/06/2015

Individuals across UK has heard the plight of war veteran Robert Clark and responded with generous donations for the cost of his continued live-in care.

Brent Council, however, may require the donated money to be given to them in payment of Robert’s care debts.

Helen Duncan-Turnbull, support planning and review chief of Brent Council, signed a letter which states the following:

“This donation should not be made as Mr Clark... still has a large debt. This money should be used toward his debt. The council reserves its rights should this donation be made.”

Mr. Clark’s family is disputing the bill.

Robert served with the Durham Light Infantry before being captured by the Germans in 1942 in an encounter in Tobruk, a city in North Africa. He then spent the rest of World War II as a prisoner of war in various camps by the Nazis in Poland.

Recognised as one of the oldest war veterans in Britain, Robert is registered blind, has a hearing problem in one ear and uses a wheelchair for mobility. However, he has no desire whatsoever to enter in a residential care home and leave his home of almost 50 years.

He spent £50,000 of his savings the last two years in order to pay for the cost of his £960/week live-in care while Brent Council contributed £350/week. Robert’s savings, however, ran out and the Council does not want to shoulder the total expenses, forcing the war veteran’s family to launch a petition to gather funds for his care cost. More than 127,000 individuals have signed the petition and the family was able to raise about £21,000.

Robert’s son, Mike Clark, told Brent & Kilburn Times last June 11 that the donated money was raised by the public so that his father can pay for a live-in carer. Mike went on to say further, “They say the money will count as his income when he is assessed for care and the donation should go towards his debt but we dispute the debt and even if he did owe anything, he has no money.”