I've discovered my neighbours huge debts

williewonder

Being in the care sector that opens the OP up to many safeguarding issues.

FluffyBabyPenguin

I take your word for it that you're genuinely intending to help out your neighbour, that's kind of you and you seem to have done quite a few things to help her! I'm sure you know that you do need to consider a point soon at which you step back, if only for your own protection. You don't want all that effort thrown back in your face by your neighbours concerned children, the police etc... Even if you've done nothing wrong, that would be unpleasant to deal with.

So far you may have been just helping with phonecalls etc, but the potential concern is that such behaviour is a "red flag" that maybe you are gaining her trust and things could later turn sinister (honestly I'm not accusing you of this at all, but financial abuse can start off looking quite innocent and a family or social services could have these concerns about you). A couple of months of altruism is a way for a financial predator to get to the stage of "sure I'm going into town this afternoon anyway, shall I take your debit card and pay that bill for you? It'd be no trouble!" and the trusting person ends up in a vulnerable situation. 

Even if you do nothing like that, if she is not good with money and her family suspects any has gone missing, they will go to the "nice neighbour who wants to help me sort out my debts" pretty fast! 

My parents are in their 60's and I hope if they needed any help with sorting out finances they'd just ask, I'm not going to judge them! Your neighbour is not "elderly" but if she's susceptible to getting signed up to expensive iPad contracts and other things she does not need, a little more involvement and awareness from her own children could be beneficial.

Maybe you could help her by practicing with her what to say when she receives sales calls ("no thank you, I don't need it, goodbye" etc) and give her confidence to decline products and services she has no need of.

LadyGnome

To add another concern.  Some of these contracts may be regulated in some way so there may (I stress may) be potential for miss-selling claims.  If you are agreeing settlements and gestures of goodwill on her behalf she may be blocked from bringing a claim for compensation later.  For example, there may be possible redress under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regs 2008 (which I believe have survived Brexit in respect of the UK) or via Ofcom.  She really should be getting independent advice especially given the excessive and inappropriate levels of service she was paying for.