Case study: Protecting independence despite financial challenge
Published: Tuesday, 21 October 2025
When a Nottingham on Call customer came to our attention recently, due to non-payment of charges leading to £300 worth of debt, we worked closely with a range of different agencies to understand the challenges our customer faced both financially and with their care needs that our equipment is helping with.
Background
The customer, who is 75, lives alone and receives regular care support.
He has a range of physical disabilities, chronic health conditions and mental health needs, that creates significant vulnerability and reliance on Nottingham on Call equipment for his safety.
This equipment includes a care alarm, falls detector and linked smoke detectors - something that is particularly important as the customer has a history of causing fire in his home due to unsafe smoking.
Referral and context
The customer came to our attention as part of our debt review process - with the level of debt at more than £300.
We wanted to understand the situation that has caused the debt and to assess the risks associated with potential equipment removal for non-payment.
We found that the customer was unable to manage their own finances and has a Power of Attorney (POA) for Finance, that is held by a friend.
However, the friend has repeatedly cancelled the Direct Debit that pays for their services, which is the reason for his mounting arrears.
We also found out that the customer was in debt to the care agency, signalling broader financial issues.
Risk
Given his vulnerabilities and the essential role of our equipment in managing fire and falls risks in particular, we worked closely with his Social Worker who has been carrying out a Mental Capacity Assessment (MCA) to find out:
- whether the customer has the mental capacity to understand and make informed decisions about his finances - including the consequences of non-payment
- whether he can weigh up the risks of losing the equipment if debts are not addressed.
The MCA determined that the customer did have capacity to make decisions around his finances. The focus for Adult Social Care was on how the customer would remain safe should the equipment be removed due to ongoing non-payment, particularly give the fire risk from unsafe smoking. This helped the customer and his friend to understand that his payment plan needed to be maintained.
Summary
Although this case remains ongoing, it highlights the importance we place on inter-agency communication to work together to provide the best possible outcome for our customers.
Debt discussions will always be difficult and sensitive, but we'll always consider an individual's level of vulnerability and potential safeguarding implications before any withdrawal of essential equipment.
Keeping out customers safe is central to all of our discussions. Decisions are always made in the best interests of our customers and go beyond issues of debt - to take into account the impact and mitigations needed to be in place if equipment has to be removed as a very last resort.