Disabled campaigner who saved £50,000 from care funding stopped from spending the cash on Florida holiday
16 February 2024, 15:38 | Updated: 16 February 2024, 15:46
A disabled man who saved £50,000 for a holiday of a lifetime to Florida has been left devastated after his local council "clawed back" the cash.
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Nathan Lee Davies, 47, receives £11,000 a month to manage his own care for Friedreich's Ataxia, a progressive genetic disease of the nervous system.
The payments include allowances for cinema trips approved for his wellbeing by the local authority, but Mr Davies instead saved up the money to spend on his first holiday in 14 years.
But Wrexham County Borough Council told him "surplus funds are to be returned" after it found out how much he had in the bank.
Mr Davies said: "I have never wanted my holiday to be paid for."I can fund my own trip, but the Local Authority refuses to pay for the travel and accommodation of my two personal assistants.
"It just feels like I've been short-changed."
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But Wrexham County Borough Council told him "surplus funds are to be returned" after it found out how much he had in the bank.
Mr Davies said: "I have never wanted my holiday to be paid for."I can fund my own trip, but the Local Authority refuses to pay for the travel and accommodation of my two personal assistants.
"It just feels like I've been short-changed."
Nathan had planned to use the money for a six-day trip to Florida in May with a specialist travel company at a cost of £3,500.
He said it was the cheapest option he could find and was "essential" to give him some respite. He said he never wanted the holiday paid for but "objected" to having to pay for the people who support him.
The extra cost of carers for going on holiday is something only disabled people have to pay for.
Nathan told the BBC: "I do object to having to pay for the people that will be working to support me.
"I deserve to escape from the home which is being made a prison."Nathan appealed the decision but lost before the council suspended his October, November and December payments.
It meant he had to shell out £33,000 of his disputed savings on care.
Nathan still plans to go on his trip later this year and has now launched an online fundraiser to help cover the costs for himself and his carers.
Writing on his GoFundMe page, which has raised £4,630 so far, he said: "I have therefore decided that I need to start living in the here and now.
"To do this, I would like to continue my interest in America. I have a degree in American Studies that I achieved at the Universities of Nottingham and Illinois in the 1990's. A trip to Florida with two of my Personal Assistants to care for me, would help me enjoy this experience at the end of May 2024.
"I can fund my own trip, but the Local Authority refuses to pay for the travel and accommodation of my two Personal Assistants. I feel that a short break is absolutely essential for my physical and mental wellbeing as it would be my first break away from my daily routine in my adapted home for 14 years."
To donate to Nathan's fund go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-staff-for-disabled-mans-dream-trip
