Shocking Statistics of Financial Elder Abuse (UK)

The UK's elderly population has suffered the theft of a total of £40 million in the last two years due to a worrying increase in 'financial abuse' - spot the signs

The charity Action on Elder (AEA) Abuse will today release shocking statistics revealing the amount of money stolen or taken from the elderly in the UK in the last two years is estimated to be £40 million.

'Financial abuse' is defined by the AEA as "stealing from, defrauding someone of, or coercing someone to part with, goods and / or property." Nearly 60 per cent of victims were aged over 80 years old.

Action on Elder Abuse (AEA) works to protect, and prevent the abuse of vulnerable older adults. They were the first charity to address these problems and are the only charity in the UK and in Ireland working exclusively on the issue today.

Facts and figures

• Between June 2007 and the end of May 2009 Action on Elder Abuse took 886 calls related to financial abuse of older people
• AEA define financial abuse as "stealing from, defrauding someone of, or coercing someone to part with, goods and/or property"
• £9,573,996 was reported as stolen, defrauded, or coerced from elderly victims
• 165 houses were sold, stolen or taken without consent which equates to nearly £30 million worth of property
• 62% of victims were female with 57% of these being over 80
• 55% perpetrators were sons and daughters, 43% of these aged between 40-60
• 14% callers cited misuses of legal instruments such as power of attorney, enduring power of attorney and lasting power of attorney.

What are the signs of financial abuse?

• Signatures on cheques that do not resemble the older person's signature or signed when the older person cannot write
• Any sudden changes in bank accounts, including an unexplained withdrawal of large sums of money by a person companying the older person
• The inclusion of additional names on an older person's bank account
• Abrupt changes to or sudden establishment of wills
• The sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming their rights to an older person's affairs or possessions
• The unexplained sudden transfer of assets to a family member or someone outside the family
• Numerous unpaid bills, overdue rent, when someone is supposed to be paying the bills for them
• Unusual concern by someone that an excessive amount of money is being expended on the care of the older person
• Lack of amenities, such as TV, personal grooming items, appropriate clothing, that the older person should be able to afford
• The unexplained disappearance of funds or valuable possessions such as art, silverware, or jewellery

· Deliberate isolation of an older person from friends and family, resulting in the caregiver alone having total control.

Helpline

A primary service that operates across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the AEA's generic helpline, which is open every weekday from 9.00am to 5.00pm. Although it cannot provide legal advice, it can provide information on the nature of elder abuse and indicate what action might be taken in response to abuse or to prevent it.

In the UK the freephone number is 0808 808 8141, and in the Republic of Ireland it is 1800 940 010.

For more help and advice, click on the links above

SOURCE: GMTV - UK

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