Financial abuse of an elderly relative

squif33

I personally would contact the safeguarding department of my local social services- they can look into the mental capacity issue and also advise of next steps e.g. if police need to be involved etc.

Hope things get sorted- what an awful situation I really feel for you

MeganG

Mojisola wrote: »

Lots of people fall for a conman's tricks while being of full capacity. Think of the people who get talked into having a shoddy job done on a driveway for an exorbitant price. The police still treat that as a crime.

It's appalling that there shouldn't be some investigation of this woman and her BF.

Agreed! I hadn't really looked at it like that before.:)

whitewing

Is she a self-employed taxi driver or affiliated to a particular company? Maybe Consumer Direct can also give you some advice - perhaps she is breaching guidelines for taxi driving.

minnie123

Just an idea does he have any friends who are still on the ball that you could speak to and maybe get them to have a word with him not saying it's coming from you or your husband?

I think it's awful what they are doing, it makes me sick - I bet they aren't declaring and paying tax on all this income they are earning from him!!

I do think this is common - before my grandad went into a care home we got him carers in his home - one of them started offering to take him to the hospital out of her work hours and gave him false details etc... and now he is the care home we have heard one of the girls who works there has started taking him for walks in his wheelchair after her shift finishes. It would be nice to think she is just being nice but I fear she has an ulterior motive and I am keeping a very close eye on it.

MeganG

whitewing wrote: »

Is she a self-employed taxi driver or affiliated to a particular company? Maybe Consumer Direct can also give you some advice - perhaps she is breaching guidelines for taxi driving.

She has her own private hire taxi. When I looked on our local council website, it says these people need an enhanced CRB check to get a license. So I assume this means she's never been arrested, cautioned or convicted of an offence.

MeganG

minnie123 wrote: »

Just an idea does he have any friends who are still on the ball that you could speak to and maybe get them to have a word with him not saying it's coming from you or your husband?..

Unfortunately she seems to have isolated him from friends as well as family. Physically, he is quite frail, so he doesn't get out & about to meet people like he used to. Quite a few of the residents who live in the flats have passed away recently, so there isn't really anyone.

I'm sorry to hear about your grandad. You are right to keep vigilant.

whitewing

MeganG wrote: »

So I assume this means she's never been arrested, cautioned or convicted of an offence.

Not necessarily. It just in theory means that if she has the council knows about and don't consider it a bar to being a taxi driver.

Speak to the council and see what general advice they can give (if any).

alanq

March 27, 2012.
"From today, all taxi licensing authorities can request enhanced criminal record checks before issuing licences to taxi and private hire vehicle drivers."

"Until today, only drivers who regularly pick up vulnerable people, including children, have been eligible for enhanced checks. Today's change will standardise this practice for all drivers."

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/news/taxi-crb-checks

So the local authority may indeed be interested to hear how a taxi driver is treating a vulnerable aged person. However, an enhanced CRB check may not have been carried out yet.

Suzy_M

Specialist advice and a helpline here -

http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/

MeganG

Suzy_M wrote: »

Specialist advice and a helpline here...

Thank you so much for the link! That looks like a very useful website.