Man paid £100,000 by Bradford Council over payment error

A 42-year-old man with learning difficulties is to be paid £100,000 by a council following a payment error.

Bradford Council gave wrong information about the man to the Independent Living Fund, Local Government Ombudsman Anne Seex said.

The man's total payments lost by the council's "maladministration" are calculated by the report at £100,587.94

Mr A's brother is to be paid £5,000 by the council because of the struggle he had to get repayment to his brother.

The ombudsman's report also recommends that the council apologise to both brothers.

The council has accepted it was responsible for Mr A losing his weekly Independent Living Fund (ILF) of £180 from 2001 onwards, according to the report.

The report said he lost the money when he moved into supported housing. Payments were lost because the council wrongly told the ILF he was in residential care.

Mr A lost the opportunity to take part in many social activities he had previously enjoyed, going to a swimming club, to an evening disco every week, and frequent trips to the seaside, because of the loss of the money, the report said.

For seven years his brother fought to get the payments reinstated. In 2008 the ILF began to pay him again.