A charity worker, Julie Sayles, was ordered to pay back more than £300,000 which she had swindled from Edith Negus, a vulnerable 102 year old woman.

Sayles worked for a charity providing social activities for the elderly, including Ms Negus. She persuaded Ms Negus to create a joint bank account, where Ms Negus deposited over £287,688. Sayles further convinced Ms Negus to include her in her Will in a bid to take the rest of her assets after her death in October 2014.

The total amount of her criminal activity was £315,000. Sayles was forced by the court to repay the stolen amount to Mrs Negus' estate; however, this case highlights the importance of having an LPA in place early in favour of someone trustworthy.

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) allows an individual to protect their property and financial affairs (PFA) to ensure there is someone trustworthy who can step in to help if they lose capacity. You can also create an LPA to grant a trustworthy family member the power over your health and welfare (HW) decisions - although this can only be used after capacity has been lost whereas the financial one can be used if the individual simply wants a little extra help e.g if they are housebound.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.