State Trustees sent the lifetime possessions of a woman in her 70s with dementia and bipolar disorder to the tip, including family photographs and phone and address books, in one of a slew of examples of how the state-owned company failed some of society’s most vulnerable people.

In another case of mismanagement unearthed by Victoria’s Ombudsman, an 80-year-old client who had just 27 cents in his bank account was directly pursued by debt collectors for more than $5000, even though State Trustees was responsible for managing his finances.

Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass. Credit:Simon Schluter

Ombudsman Deborah Glass said State Trustees too often failed to act in the best interests of its clients, who are by definition among the state’s most vulnerable.

The agency manages the finances of about 10,000 Victorians who are unable to look after their own affairs due to disability, illness or injury.