We helped a vulnerable client with his finances in order to improve his standard of property and wellbeing.
Scenario
We received a referral from a local authority in relation to Mr X. Mr X is a vulnerable man who lives in his property with the help of carers. Mr X has lost mental capacity in relation to his finances and therefore became unable to pay for maintenance to his property. Due to his mental illness, he is unable to appreciate that he has the funds available in his bank account to pay for the maintenance.
This became a real risk to his health and welfare when he had a pest infestation, a broken fridge freezer, a broken washing machine, no flooring in parts of his home (he was using newspaper as carpet) and his debit card had been declined for his food shop. Luckily for Mr X, his carers were willing to personally pay for his food but only temporarily.
What was our role?
We made an urgent application to the Court of Protection with a detailed witness statement about why urgent interim Deputies needed to be appointed. The Court processed our application and appreciated the reasons that we put forward. The Court contacted us and directed us to file a further witness statement setting out a list of items that Mr X needs and the cost of each item. We worked closely with Mr X’s social worker and put together the list and cost estimates as directed.
How did we add value?
The Court approved our request for release of funds, and we are now simply waiting on the Order. This means that we can access funds to improve Mr X’s quality of life and ensure that his welfare is not at risk without having to wait the standard 6-9 months that a Deputyship application can take. The Order will allow Mr X’s banking provider to release the funds to us and we can work with social services to ensure that Mr X’s living situation is improved significantly. Our urgent application has also allowed Mr X to remain at home with his independence rather than being moved into a residential care home. In terms of the Deputyship application itself, this is still progressing alongside the interim release of funds and we hope to be appointed as Mr X’s property and affairs deputies soon. The appointment as Deputies will allow us to ensure that Mr X has everything that he needs financially going forwards.
Please be aware that urgent applications can only be made in specific circumstances and when there are serious concerns about someone’s health or welfare. If you get in touch with us, we can discuss whether the case can be put forward as urgent.
