Muswell Hill man with epilepsy attacks council over charges for support service

Garry Methven previously accessed a local support service for free but the council is now sending him bills, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

A man who was left unable to work after suffering a head injury has accused Haringey Council of “daylight robbery” after it started charging him for a support service.

Garry Methven, who lives in Muswell Hill, has been living with epilepsy and aphasia – a disorder that makes it difficult to communicate – after falling down an escalator at a tube station 16 years ago.

For nearly 14 years, the council paid for him to attend weekly sessions run by charity Headway in East London, enabling him to socialise with people who have similar conditions. But last year, it said he would have to start paying towards the cost of the sessions.

Garry, who claims benefits, says he is now charged more than £30 per week – which feels like a “fortune” – and the council has started sending him letters stating that he is more than £800 in debt.

“It’s daylight robbery,” he said. “I just can’t understand it.

“[At Headway], you are around people in the same predicament that I am. It is so helpful there, being around people that suffer with epilepsy and aphasia. It is a lovely place to go to. It’s like going to the pub but without alcohol – that’s what it feels like. You are around friends.

“Because of all the stress I’m going through and how low I felt, there is a counsellor there that helped me.

“It would be such a downer if I couldn’t go. I’ve been going to Headway for 14 years […] If I get charged, I can’t afford it.”

The council says it started charging Garry following a change in his circumstances and has provided the family with “detailed information” on the decision.

But both he and his mother, Linda Price, say they are not sure what the change could be and claim the council has not told them. They say there has been a small increase in his benefits, but the extra money does not come close to covering the new charges.

As well as his bills and day-to-day living expenses, Garry uses his benefits to pay for other costs. He recently faced large vet bills after his dog, Pickles, became ill, and he sometimes sends money to his daughter, who lives in Canada.

“It’s so stressful,” Garry said. “I am epileptic. It just goes from pillar to post. They say, ‘this is the reason and that is the reason’.”

Linda said: “They [the council] wanted to charge him 80-something pounds a week. It is now 30-odd, but it is a lot of money for something he was getting for free when nothing else has changed.

“When I phone them up, they say ‘it is means tested’, and we don’t get any further than that: ‘we deemed he can afford it’. I don’t know how you can do that when nothing has really changed.

“I’m sure they must be able to get that money from other sources rather than hit people who can least afford it but that most need it.”

Garry believes that the struggle with the council, combined with other problems, led to the onset of an epileptic seizure known as an ‘aura’. “That is why I had that aura,” he said. “When it hit me, I felt suicidal. I felt so low.”

Other people who attend the centre are now also being charged by the council, Garry claimed. He added: “I was thinking about going back to work, but that is impossible. If I could, then I would.”

A spokesperson for Haringey Council said: “For many years Mr Methven received a zero-charge care package, but a thorough and careful review based on the information provided by his mother indicated a change in their circumstances which meant we had no other option than to ask for a financial contribution.

“Detailed information on how and why the council came to this decision has been provided to the family. We recognise this is an incredibly difficult time and want the family to know the contribution is in line with our fairer charging policy.

“If Mr Methven’s circumstances have changed since the assessment in November 2022, then we would strongly urge the family to get in touch. The fair charging policy is set by national legislation, which allows councils to implement a fair process for all residents.”

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