Money plant bug

Does anyone recognise what is causing the yellowing and drying up of the leaves on my money plant?
I thought it was scale or mealy bug but the residue on the leaves isn't at all sticky and I can't find any 'cotton wool' like deposits. The leaves develop dark patches like there is something inside eating them. They yellow and then get flaky, dry, dandruff like stuff all over them which is almost shiny when it is on your fingers. I have started spraying with a mix of neem oil, detergent and water and it does seem a little improved but they're still dying.
I've had this plant for years and never had issues with it but I have recently suffered with scale on a lot of the other plants in my conservatory. Whilst there are no scale bugs evident on the stem or leaves of the plant, I wondered if that was the culprit?
Be grateful and interested to hear everyone's advice.
Thanks

 

Hello @Fidosaurus and welcome to GC

I have one of these money tree plants and occasionallysome of my leaves have gone this pale colour and have shrivelled and dropped off.I put it down to an aging problem with the leaves and find that the rest of the plant stays nice and healthy and a few get dropped.Do you feed your plant very often and how often do you water it as it might be the plants way of conserving energy if it has grown too large for its pot or as I have said the leaves have just got to the age where they will naturally die off so they just drop off.

 

Hi Kandy

Thank you so much for coming back to me. I am sorry about this belated reply!

I would normally agree with you about the leaves dying back but I have had this plant for many years and it would probably have been helpful if I had taken a picture of the whole plant, so you could see how that it is the top leaves that are affected. I have a couple of other smaller cuttings and they seem to be being affected as well. I think it might be scale. A couple of my cactus look like they're suffering too :(

Thanks again.