Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway reveals she tried to release funds from Derek’s pension to pay huge medical bills
KATE Garraway has revealed she attempted to release funds from husband Derek Draper’s pension to pay for his crippling care bill costs – yet heard nothing back from the taxman.
The Good Morning Britain anchor, 56, previously exclusively told The Sun of the debilitating medical fees and confessed “there’s no special treatment because I’m on TV.”
Kate‘s spouse, political lobbyist Derek Draper, tragically died aged 56 in January.
He was left fighting for life in hospital after suffering a massive heart attack over the festive period, yet had been unwell for a while.
The dad of two was one of the UK’s longest-suffering Covid patients and, after being diagnosed in March 2020, his care needs had spanned almost four years.
On Thursday’s Good Morning Britain, Kate and co-host Ed Balls, 57, were discussing the billions of pounds going unclaimed from forgotten pensions.
Kate admitted to the show guests: “It’s only when a crsis hits you suddenly think mmm.
“I have experience of this, Derek fell very ill in March 2020.
“I was aware that he had some pensions, I had a small one that I knew.
“I tried to find out if I could do that early release to try to pay for his bills.”
She added: “I’ve sent in things … and tried to contact HMRC.
“And I’ve never heard. So it’s not an easy thing to track things down.”
Previously, Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis offered advice on how to track down historic pensions.
Care costs
Kate previously opened up to The Sun on the crippling costs’s of Derek’s care.
She told us: “Of course it’s been tough financially.
“I tried to find out if I could do that early release to try to pay for his bills
Kate Garraway
“As anyone with a loved one who is seriously ill knows, the costs go through the roof in so many ways.
“You have to make changes to your home and it affects your ability to work.
“I had to take long periods off when Derek was first sick, and of course if affects the overall income for the family as he can no longer work.
“We had to wind up the business we had together, and also I’ve had to take on assistants so that I can focus on Derek when not on air.
“Derek was always so incredibly supportive of my work, but I didn’t realise just how much he did do in that area until he couldn’t anymore.”
Prior to his passing, Kate and Derek headed to Mexico for round two of what was dubbed a “potentially life-saving” medical trial, paid for by Kate.
“As anyone with a loved one who is seriously ill knows, the costs go through the roof in so many ways
Kate Garraway
Huge debt
Kate’s care costs for Derek were previously estimated at £800K.
She previously told how she was in “survival mode” as the figures escalated.
In an interview with The Times, Kate estimated the care debt to be between £500,000 and £800,000.
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She said: “Derek’s needs were clearly so great, yet he didn’t warrant funded care — so you think, ‘If he isn’t getting it, then who is?'”
Before he died, Kate already owed debts above £700,000, which were incurred by his psychotherapeutic company’s failure, with Kate possessing no legal authority to administer his business affairs when he became unwell.
Meanwhile, she took to X this week after receiving “unsettling” correspondence from the council addressed to her late spouse.
