Legal insights
Spotting the signs of financial abuse Financial abuse is one of the most common safeguarding challenges faced by social services. It has the power to devastate society’s most vulnerable and situations surrounding the issue can be extremely complex. We spoke to Hugh Jones, a Court of Protection lawyer from Hugh Jones Solicitors, to learn what to do if you suspect that one of your clients is a victim and why when it comes to financial abuse, intuition is a social worker’s most valuable skill.
What exactly is financial abuse? Financial abuse takes many forms. As well as the obvious examples of theft and fraud, it also includes being put under pressure in relation to money, misuse of benefits and direct payments, or not purchasing items for the protected party in a bid to preserve assets.
Who is most at risk of being affected by financial abuse? There are several key risk factors that increase the likelihood of someone becoming a victim of this type of abuse. Unsurprisingly, risk increases with age and elderly people make up a significant proportion of victims within the UK. Individuals lacking mental capacity, such as those with dementia, severe learning difficulties, brain injuries and mental health illnesses, are also very likely to be affected. Sadly, the abuse tends to be at the hands of those closest to the victims. This could people such as relatives, carers or lasting powers of attorney, which is why it can be so difficult to unravel.
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