Kate Garraway describes 'excessive debt' left by husband Derek's care costs as she confronts Health Secretary
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Kate Garraway said she had been left with “excessive, unpayable debt” over her late husband’s care costs as she clashed with the Heath Secretary on Friday. The Good Morning Britain presenter told Wes Streeting it was the anniversary of Derek Draper’s death and her family had “been talking about the challenges we faced this time last year”.
Mr Draper, who was a political lobbyist, died on January 3, 2023 at the age of 56 after a long battle with the long-term effects of Covid. Ms Garraway has previously revealed that the £16,000 monthly cost of her late husband's care was more than her salary from ITV and had resulted in her racking up huge debts.
She told Mr Streeting that one of the overriding challenges had been “dealing with the funding of care”. “At the time of his death, there were two appeals that hadn't been heard for funding,” she told the Health Secretary. “It kept on getting pushed back and pushed back. In the meantime, and I'm lucky I've got an incredible job which is well-paid, I was having to fund the situation.
“Now I've got excessive, unpayable debt because of it, and if I'm in that position, what are other people going to be? People can't afford four more years of this?". Political consensus about who shoulders the costs of social care must be established, Mr Streeting said.
