A legal expert at Essex law firm Birkett Long says if you are paying for a care home in the Colchester or Billericay area it could be you are doing so needlessly.

Amanda Brown, a solicitor with the firm that has offices in Basildon, Colchester and Chelmsford, says care homes typically cost £650-£850 per week but the NHS is legally obliged to pay those fees if you or your loved one needs care primarily for health reasons.

Now the firm is to stage a seminar on Tuesday 9 June at Prested Hall, Feering, near Colchester and on Thursday 11 June at Stock Brook Manor, Queen’s Park Avenue, Billericay, to give people guidance to help establish whether they have a valid claim.

Amanda, who works with the firm’s NHS care funding team, said: “More and more frequently people are challenging decisions about care fees and successfully reclaiming sums that have already been paid.

“These are not limited to those who are still in residential care and can include reclaims by executors of estates where the person receiving care has since died.”

Amanda added: “Every case is different, but one thing remains common: financing the cost of a care home is a huge outlay and can take a large chunk out of a person’s estate. It is worth discovering if you have a case.”

The seminar provides information on the different types of funding available, NHS Continuing Healthcare claims and lasting powers of attorney associated with a person’s financial and health welfare.

If you are interested in attending either, contact Sarah Watson on 01206 217334 for details or register at www.birkettlong.co.uk/events