Hundreds of disabled people in Essex are caught up in a contractual dispute between a firm that provides payroll services and the county council. As a result, they are missing money from their personal budgets, which are meant to fund their care. One such person is Claire Jennings, a counsellor who is registered blind and has scoliosis, a spinal condition that causes her constant pain. She is entitled to 29 hours of support per week to help her carry out everyday tasks, but her requests for information about her outstanding balance have gone unanswered.
Jennings had received advice from payroll firm Purple, which handles the management of budgets worth some £30m, to keep a “buffer” for emergency situations, and had almost £2,000 in her account when the contract with Essex County Council was terminated. Five months later, she has still not received the money owed to her. A number of other Purple service users have also reported late or incorrect payments to HMRC, a lack of communication and unavailability of up-to-date account statements.
Mary Hunt, whose daughter Laura has 24-hour support staff, asthma, and an underactive thyroid, has had similar experiences. Hunt took control of the budget herself in the summer after waiting for months for the situation to be resolved. The issue is complicated by the involvement of a new payroll firm, Penderels Trust, which is struggling to manage the high volume of complaints from disabled people across Essex.
A spokesperson for Essex County Council said the authority was “in the process of reconciling all funds that were held by the previous Direct Payment Support Service provider… However, all funds will be transferred with no detriment to any individual who receives a direct payment. All care commitments will continue to be met.” Purple apologised for the experiences of individuals and said that their complaints did not reflect the level of service it aimed to provide; however the company was unable to comment publicly on the specific points raised due to client confidentiality
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