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6th May 2024
05:07pm BST
Kate Garraway has said she has had to withdraw money from her pension in order to pay for the cost of the medical care for her late husband, Derek Draper.
The news anchor made the revelation during a debate on Good Morning Britain on Monday about patients resorting to private healthcare due to NHS waiting lists.
New figures found that more than one in five people who had used private healthcare had put themselves into debt as a result.
Earlier this year, Garraway revealed that she was in £500,000 to £800,000 of debt due to the costs of paying for her late husband Derek’s care.
The former political lobbyist passed away in January at the age of 56 following a lengthy battle with serious health issues as a result of long Covid.
After he contracted the virus in March 2020, he spent 100 days in a coma and required round the clock care until his passing.
During the discussion on GMB, Garraway admitted she was using some of her pension to pay for "belated bills."
Responding to the survey's findings and after hearing the experience of a guest on the show, Garraway said: "I am doing something similar myself.
"I have had to withdraw the bit you can tax free from my pension to pay for belated bills for my husband, who has now passed away.
"People are having to do things - it wasn't a huge pension in the first place - which aren't what they saved for."
Speaking to the Sun earlier this year about the cost of caring for her late husband, Garraway said: "Of course it’s been tough financially.
“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."
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