Journalist Sue Mitchell returns with a new BBC Radio 4 podcast series highlighting what happens when powers of attorney go horribly wrong.
In a Hertfordshire town, people living alone are disappearing, leaving neighbors wondering why they haven't seen them or if they're dead.
Giving someone else control of your finances and decision-making through a durable power of attorney means that you have the assurance that that person will always act in your best interests. But that doesn't always happen.
Sue Mitchell and her team investigate in this new seven-part podcast series, Shadow World: The Willpower Detective.
The story begins with concerned friends and relatives wanting to know what happened to their neighbors and loved ones. where have they gone? And why were their homes turned into vacant lots and sold?
It exposes an apparently widespread practice in which vulnerable people are forced from their homes and left with no idea what is happening to their money and belongings.
People with little or no family often ask questions about where to move and object to the costs involved. People who have accumulated wealth over a lifetime are now paying the fees of those whose assets are now making decisions on their behalf.
This series focuses on the loopholes that allow this to happen, and the relationship between care homes, social workers and certain companies that take on large numbers of powers of attorney.
This is an original investigation recorded in real time as Sue roams the streets of a British town. Often, we enlist the help of neighbors of those caught up in this world. These are the neighbors who became detectives to uncover how power of attorney orders can be abused. .
Daniel Clarke, Radio 4’s Factual Commissioning Editor, said: “Sue and the team have established themselves as an extraordinary force when it comes to authentic, traditional shoe leather investigative reporting, recorded in real time and bringing us powerful and powerful information.” An important story unfolds.
“This is a remarkable series that shines a light on people whose vulnerabilities put their finances and belongings at risk of being exploited, and who rarely get the attention they deserve.”
Sue Mitchell said: “When I went out to record, I met so many friends, relatives and neighbors of vulnerable people who were trying so hard to keep an eye on each other and know when things were going badly. “I often sense that.” That's right.
“Highlighting their experiences is helping others and is making a difference for some of the participants. We all know there are people who may need a power of attorney someday. We may need it ourselves, but we hope this story resonates widely.”
Episodes 1-6 will be released on BBC Sounds today, Monday 9th December, with episode 7 available from 6am tomorrow. The series will also be broadcast on Radio 4 from today at 2.45pm every week.
