The Willpower Detectives: 8. Nearest and Dearest

Shadow World

When The Willpower Detectives aired on BBC Radio 4, just before Christmas 2024, hundreds of listeners contacted the BBC with their own stories about power of attorney and the way it can be abused. The series revealed how a partner at an Essex based law firm – Ron Hiller – was taking over the finances of vulnerable clients, clearing and selling their homes and leaving them without access to information about where their money had gone.

In many of the stories from listeners, it was family members - siblings, partners, and grandchildren - who were taking control of assets and in some instances, overseeing the drafting of new wills. This additional episode relates one extraordinary story among those hundreds. A wealthy businessman gifted each of his grandchildren a property. Sue Mitchell discovers what happened when one grandchild used power of attorney to take more.

The programme exposes the difficulties involved when assessing mental capacity, especially when it comes to deciding who has financial control.

Presented by Sue Mitchell Produced by Sue Mitchell, Joel Moors and Winifred Robinson. Sound design by Tom Bignell