Power of Attorney – what are the risks?

This morning the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme carried an interview with a recently-retired senior judge who has warned over the lack of safeguards in Powers of Attorney (POA). He said the Ministry of Justice in the UK has been “disingenuous” in promoting them and the public should be more aware of the risks of attorneyship.

The segment reported on the case of a Dunkirk veteran, with early stage dementia, who gave his neighbour power of attorney, with disastrous results.

Listen to the 12-minute report here (available on BBC iPlayer until 21 August).

This warning follows on soon after Affinity published a very helpful article on the subject of Lasting Power of Attorney in its Social Issues Bulletin of July 2017. In it Roger Hitchings explains in more detail what a POA is and its advantages, while also drawing attention to their potential misuse – and how church pastors and members should take note.