Stop Lasting Power of Attorney abuse and hold the OPG accountable - Justice for Angela
The Issue
Victims of crime should not be responsible for bringing the perpetrator(s) to justice.
My late mother, Angela Wright, was failed by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) whilst she was living with mixed dementia in care in 2017. Thousands of other families are also coming forwards with equally tragic stories about LPA abuse and the OPG's failings.
£500,000 was stolen from her by her LPA (my estranged sister) despite my many warnings to the OPG. They also ignored my mother's Deed of Revocation to stop the LPA having access to her money and they cut me off when I kept complaining.
They didn't carry out a full memory assessment on her when I stated she hadn't had capacity to sign the LPA - she had been diagnosed with unspecified dementia a year before.
After my mother died in 2019, it took me nearly £40,000 of my own money and a painstaking 5 years to battle through the civil justice system to prove that the LPA and her ex husband had indeed taken all of my mother's money. The defendants lied and stood in my way at every step. I "won" the Civil Trial in July 2024. My sister and her ex husband were ordered to pay back the money with interest but are claiming impecuniosity so will probably never pay back a penny.
The OPG washed their hands of my mother, hiding behind current legislation that once the donor dies, their involvement ends - convenient right? This means the government don't have to fund the investigation and litigation themselves and can discount the theft and carry on stating that LPA abuse is rare.
But the theft took place while the LPA was active and my mum was still alive, so why was this palmed off as a civil matter?
The OPG granted the LPA and allowed it to continue. They should have investigated thoroughly and held the perpetrators accountable.
What is the point in having Wills, Probate, POA/LPA if perpetrators bypass these and steal all the money for themselves? Can you imagine what would happen if the perpetrators had stolen £500,000 from a business or the government?! They would be held accountable and charged. The OPG are supposed to protect these vulnerable donors. The OPG are failing. They aren't doing their job.
I complained to the Parliamentary Health Service and Ombudsman who also stated my time had run out. Because of the legal action I had to take, Covid, delays by the banks etc. it had taken me so much time to get to the truth and gain solid evidence - that meant I had run out of time to complain. That was not my mother's nor my fault.
Change is needed. If an LPA misappropriates the donor's funds the OPG need to take action against the Attorney, whether the donor is still alive or not. There was nowhere for me to turn. With current legislation I only had one year to complain to my MP and then to the PHSO. It took me nearly 5 years to get the defendants to a Civil Trial. My sister breached every single rule of the LPA that she swore to adhere to when she signed it. This should immediately be seen for what it is... a criminal matter.
The type of abuse that the OPG most commonly investigates – financial abuse by the attorney – requires clear evidence of the amounts taken or misspent, and precise dates and times. Yet this is usually information only the attorney typically has access to (and has complete control over).
This ‘Catch-22’ – that when the abuser is also the victim’s LPA attorney for finances, they completely control access to the evidence that would show their abuse – lies at the heart of the hidden nature of abuse by LPA attorneys.
My story has already been in the news, and yet my mother's money is still missing and these thieves are out there living their lives like nothing has happened.
We need an independent review of the OPG and the effectiveness of the OPG to investigate the actions of an attorney. And we need serious penalties given to those who commit LPA abuse.
When LPA abuse occurs there is still:
No independent oversight.
No route to restitution or redress.
No recognition of coercive control or deception.
No accountability for professional attorneys who exploit trust.
And no potential attorney is ever vetted.
Please sign and share. Thank you.
1,900
The Issue
Victims of crime should not be responsible for bringing the perpetrator(s) to justice.
My late mother, Angela Wright, was failed by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) whilst she was living with mixed dementia in care in 2017. Thousands of other families are also coming forwards with equally tragic stories about LPA abuse and the OPG's failings.
£500,000 was stolen from her by her LPA (my estranged sister) despite my many warnings to the OPG. They also ignored my mother's Deed of Revocation to stop the LPA having access to her money and they cut me off when I kept complaining.
They didn't carry out a full memory assessment on her when I stated she hadn't had capacity to sign the LPA - she had been diagnosed with unspecified dementia a year before.
After my mother died in 2019, it took me nearly £40,000 of my own money and a painstaking 5 years to battle through the civil justice system to prove that the LPA and her ex husband had indeed taken all of my mother's money. The defendants lied and stood in my way at every step. I "won" the Civil Trial in July 2024. My sister and her ex husband were ordered to pay back the money with interest but are claiming impecuniosity so will probably never pay back a penny.
The OPG washed their hands of my mother, hiding behind current legislation that once the donor dies, their involvement ends - convenient right? This means the government don't have to fund the investigation and litigation themselves and can discount the theft and carry on stating that LPA abuse is rare.
But the theft took place while the LPA was active and my mum was still alive, so why was this palmed off as a civil matter?
The OPG granted the LPA and allowed it to continue. They should have investigated thoroughly and held the perpetrators accountable.
What is the point in having Wills, Probate, POA/LPA if perpetrators bypass these and steal all the money for themselves? Can you imagine what would happen if the perpetrators had stolen £500,000 from a business or the government?! They would be held accountable and charged. The OPG are supposed to protect these vulnerable donors. The OPG are failing. They aren't doing their job.
I complained to the Parliamentary Health Service and Ombudsman who also stated my time had run out. Because of the legal action I had to take, Covid, delays by the banks etc. it had taken me so much time to get to the truth and gain solid evidence - that meant I had run out of time to complain. That was not my mother's nor my fault.
Change is needed. If an LPA misappropriates the donor's funds the OPG need to take action against the Attorney, whether the donor is still alive or not. There was nowhere for me to turn. With current legislation I only had one year to complain to my MP and then to the PHSO. It took me nearly 5 years to get the defendants to a Civil Trial. My sister breached every single rule of the LPA that she swore to adhere to when she signed it. This should immediately be seen for what it is... a criminal matter.
The type of abuse that the OPG most commonly investigates – financial abuse by the attorney – requires clear evidence of the amounts taken or misspent, and precise dates and times. Yet this is usually information only the attorney typically has access to (and has complete control over).
This ‘Catch-22’ – that when the abuser is also the victim’s LPA attorney for finances, they completely control access to the evidence that would show their abuse – lies at the heart of the hidden nature of abuse by LPA attorneys.
My story has already been in the news, and yet my mother's money is still missing and these thieves are out there living their lives like nothing has happened.
We need an independent review of the OPG and the effectiveness of the OPG to investigate the actions of an attorney. And we need serious penalties given to those who commit LPA abuse.
When LPA abuse occurs there is still:
No independent oversight.
No route to restitution or redress.
No recognition of coercive control or deception.
No accountability for professional attorneys who exploit trust.
And no potential attorney is ever vetted.
Please sign and share. Thank you.
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on 15 October 2024