The Government is drawing up plans to protect elderly people from having their ‘personalised budget' cash stolen by friends and family. The move comes after joint chairman of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, Dwayne Johnson, warned that existing safeguards were ‘not adequate' to protect elderly people from becoming victims of theft, if government plans for individual budgets were voted in. He said: ‘Legislation to protect elderly people will provide clearer governance and accountability within statutory agencies.' Care minister, Phil Hope, is proposing that banks, building societies and the Financial Services Authority monitor the accounts of elderly people for unusual cash withdrawals, and share the information with authorities, when suspicious. But, according to the Government, family and friends stealing from their elderly relatives has increased steadily recently. The personalised budgets consultation document Safeguarding adults issued this week, proposes that social workers be given powers to check how older people are being looked after in their home.